Mercer University is one of 104 national finalists for a 2013 ArtPlace grant, according to a news release.

The grant is funded by 13 leading national and regional foundations to transform communities by driving vibrancy through investments in the arts.

Mercer’s $1 million funding request includes plans for renovation of the former Tattnall Square Presbyterian Church into the Tattnall Square Center for the Arts, which would serve as a community theatre and the home of the university’s theater department.

There were more than 1,200 applications for the grant across the country. The grant recipients will be announced in May.