YOUNGSTOWN — The city’s board of control approved using federal money to help fund the reopening of a West Side greenhouse, an improvement project at a vacant Glenwood Avenue strip plaza, exterior work to the Youngstown Playhouse and grants to three businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The board on Thursday voted in favor of a $60,000 allocation from the city’s federal Community Development Block Grant funding to Youngstown CityScape for its urban greenhouse initiative.

CityScape, a downtown beautification organization, purchased the former Briel’s Flowers and Greenhouse property on Belle Vista Avenue for $145,000 on July 27. It plans to invest a total of $400,000 into the location, said Sharon Letson, its executive director.

The project includes reopening the greenhouse so CityScape can grow flowers and plants to beautify the city as well as provide a retail area, classroom space and job training, Letson said.

The board approved a $100,000 CDBG grant to the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. for its revitalization project at 2915 Glenwood Ave., a former strip plaza.

YNDC purchased the property for $175,000 and after a renovation project, it plans to offer space to businesses, particularly minority owned, that can offer services to nearby residents.

The building, damaged in a 2016 fire, used to have a daycare facility and a restaurant before it closed.

The board of control also authorized a $50,000 CDBG grant to the Youngstown Playhouse, off of Glenwood Avenue, for exterior renovations, including structural repairs and painting.

The board voted Thursday in favor of $10,000 grants to three businesses to help them recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city now has awarded grants from its COVID-19 business stabilization program to 18 businesses.

The grants are designed to help businesses with three to 25 employees create and retain jobs impacted by the pandemic for operating expenses going back to March 15, 2020.

The fund had $220,000 in it with $200,000 from the CDBG fund by way of federal COVID-19 relief money and $20,000 from the KeyBank Business Boost and Build Program.

The grants are for up to $10,000 and that’s the amount awarded Thursday to three companies.

The businesses are Growing Kids Academy at 2935 Market St., LaFrance Dry Cleaners at 2607 Glenwood Ave., and the Royal Oaks Bar and Grill, 924 Oak St.