Kosciusko Region Among Three Chosen For State Funds
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
The initiative originally called for only awarding $42 million each to two regions, but the Indiana Regional Cities Committee recommended the three regions’ plans be funded during its meeting in Indianapolis. Kosciusko County is in the Northeast Region along with Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley.
Projects proposed for Kosciusko include $11 million for an update to the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts, $1 million for finding a new use for the Little Crow Foods building and $23.3 million for North Buffalo streetscape and redevelopment. The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership submitted to the state a list of 70 projects among its 11 counties worth $1.4 billion altogether.
Subject to legislative approval of the transfer of additional funds raised through tax amnesty collections – only $84 million is in hand for the program – each of the three regions chosen will receive up to $42 million in state matching funds through the Indiana Regional Cities Initiative to implement their plans.
The IEDC Board, chaired by Pence, also voted Tuesday to seek legislative approval in order to award full funding to the three regions based on the financial success of the 2015 Tax Amnesty program, which has, to date, collected $137.6 million in cash payments, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
During the Indiana Regional Cities Strategic Review Committee’s presentation to the board, the committee highlighted the visions in the three regions’ plans.
“As a destination for business, every day we see Indiana companies taking action to create new, quality jobs for hardworking Hoosiers, with more than 132,000 jobs added over the last two years,” Pence is quoted as saying in the release. “Through the Indiana Regional Cities Initiative, we saw seven regions working in partnership to inspire and generate the development of long-term and dynamic plans that could provide the blueprints to transform our state.”
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said of the IEDC board’s decision, “I think overall it’s a great thing for the region and the North Central region as both were named.”
He said the state will have to come up with a funding formula because by naming three regions, the legislature will have to allocate the extra money. Thallemer was not sure how that would be done, but he was sure it would be significant to the Northeast Region.
“We have several projects ready to go forward and it would be more appealing to award (funds) to those projects than those in their infancy,” Thallemer said.
He said the Northeast Regional Development Authority will be charged with allocating the monies the region receives.
Overall, Thallemer said it was thrilling that the Northeast Region was one of the three chosen, but it will be tough for the RDA to decide on how to allocate the funds.
Brad Bishop, OrthoWorx executive director and member of the Northeast’s five-member board, said, “This is great recognition for the quality of place projects that are underway or planned in Kosciusko County and all across northern Indiana. We still have work to do with IEDC in terms of the formal process for approving projects and soliciting funds, but this is a terrific first step toward advancing projects in our region.”
Northeast Indiana’s winning “Road to One Million” plan, spearheaded by the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and Greater Fort Wayne Inc., is the rallying cry for Northeast Indiana to reach 1 million residents, according to a press release from Greater Fort Wayne Inc. To achieve that goal, Northeast Indiana needs to accelerate the current annual growth rate from 0.7 percent annually to just over 2 percent.
Of the 70 projects to be implemented over the next decade, Northeast Indiana – the largest Regional Development Authority in the state – plans to invest more than $400 million to implement 38 of those projects in the next two years.
The $11 million expansion of the Wagon Wheel is one of those 38 immediate projects.
In a provided statement, Will Dawson, executive director of the Wagon Wheel, said, “Warsaw is a very special and unique community. Where else in the country could a performing arts venue draw four times its city’s population during the course of the year? And yet, that’s exactly what the Wagon Wheel Theatre does as we continue to broaden our regional footprint. Our economic impact is significant and we could do much more with improved facilities. The combination of our 60-year history and our vision for the future is why we are confident that our application for funding is strong.”
The state’s $42 million funding, which will be matched through private investment locally, will support game-changing quality of place projects with the goal of economic growth, population growth and increasing “national brand identity,” according to the Greater Fort Wayne press release.
John Sampson, president and CEO of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, is quoted in the governor’s release as saying, “We are now positioned to accelerate our pace and deepen our focus on building a regional city that harnesses the imaginations of our people and welcomes those from afar. We have the momentum and regional consensus necessary to inspire timely implementation of an investment portfolio that defines our community over the next few years and for decades thereafter. We are ready to build a bigger, bolder future for Northeast Indiana.”
The Greater Fort Wayne press release states, “The impact would be immediately beneficial in meeting the workforce demands of area employers by dramatically expanding the population of workers in the 25 to 44 year old demographic. Beyond this positive benefit, real GDP for the region would practically double current real GDP to over $60 billion on the Road to One Million plan. This would increase total wages within the region by more than $8 billion.”[[In-content Ad]]
Latest News
E-Editions
The initiative originally called for only awarding $42 million each to two regions, but the Indiana Regional Cities Committee recommended the three regions’ plans be funded during its meeting in Indianapolis. Kosciusko County is in the Northeast Region along with Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley.
Projects proposed for Kosciusko include $11 million for an update to the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts, $1 million for finding a new use for the Little Crow Foods building and $23.3 million for North Buffalo streetscape and redevelopment. The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership submitted to the state a list of 70 projects among its 11 counties worth $1.4 billion altogether.
Subject to legislative approval of the transfer of additional funds raised through tax amnesty collections – only $84 million is in hand for the program – each of the three regions chosen will receive up to $42 million in state matching funds through the Indiana Regional Cities Initiative to implement their plans.
The IEDC Board, chaired by Pence, also voted Tuesday to seek legislative approval in order to award full funding to the three regions based on the financial success of the 2015 Tax Amnesty program, which has, to date, collected $137.6 million in cash payments, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
During the Indiana Regional Cities Strategic Review Committee’s presentation to the board, the committee highlighted the visions in the three regions’ plans.
“As a destination for business, every day we see Indiana companies taking action to create new, quality jobs for hardworking Hoosiers, with more than 132,000 jobs added over the last two years,” Pence is quoted as saying in the release. “Through the Indiana Regional Cities Initiative, we saw seven regions working in partnership to inspire and generate the development of long-term and dynamic plans that could provide the blueprints to transform our state.”
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said of the IEDC board’s decision, “I think overall it’s a great thing for the region and the North Central region as both were named.”
He said the state will have to come up with a funding formula because by naming three regions, the legislature will have to allocate the extra money. Thallemer was not sure how that would be done, but he was sure it would be significant to the Northeast Region.
“We have several projects ready to go forward and it would be more appealing to award (funds) to those projects than those in their infancy,” Thallemer said.
He said the Northeast Regional Development Authority will be charged with allocating the monies the region receives.
Overall, Thallemer said it was thrilling that the Northeast Region was one of the three chosen, but it will be tough for the RDA to decide on how to allocate the funds.
Brad Bishop, OrthoWorx executive director and member of the Northeast’s five-member board, said, “This is great recognition for the quality of place projects that are underway or planned in Kosciusko County and all across northern Indiana. We still have work to do with IEDC in terms of the formal process for approving projects and soliciting funds, but this is a terrific first step toward advancing projects in our region.”
Northeast Indiana’s winning “Road to One Million” plan, spearheaded by the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and Greater Fort Wayne Inc., is the rallying cry for Northeast Indiana to reach 1 million residents, according to a press release from Greater Fort Wayne Inc. To achieve that goal, Northeast Indiana needs to accelerate the current annual growth rate from 0.7 percent annually to just over 2 percent.
Of the 70 projects to be implemented over the next decade, Northeast Indiana – the largest Regional Development Authority in the state – plans to invest more than $400 million to implement 38 of those projects in the next two years.
The $11 million expansion of the Wagon Wheel is one of those 38 immediate projects.
In a provided statement, Will Dawson, executive director of the Wagon Wheel, said, “Warsaw is a very special and unique community. Where else in the country could a performing arts venue draw four times its city’s population during the course of the year? And yet, that’s exactly what the Wagon Wheel Theatre does as we continue to broaden our regional footprint. Our economic impact is significant and we could do much more with improved facilities. The combination of our 60-year history and our vision for the future is why we are confident that our application for funding is strong.”
The state’s $42 million funding, which will be matched through private investment locally, will support game-changing quality of place projects with the goal of economic growth, population growth and increasing “national brand identity,” according to the Greater Fort Wayne press release.
John Sampson, president and CEO of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, is quoted in the governor’s release as saying, “We are now positioned to accelerate our pace and deepen our focus on building a regional city that harnesses the imaginations of our people and welcomes those from afar. We have the momentum and regional consensus necessary to inspire timely implementation of an investment portfolio that defines our community over the next few years and for decades thereafter. We are ready to build a bigger, bolder future for Northeast Indiana.”
The Greater Fort Wayne press release states, “The impact would be immediately beneficial in meeting the workforce demands of area employers by dramatically expanding the population of workers in the 25 to 44 year old demographic. Beyond this positive benefit, real GDP for the region would practically double current real GDP to over $60 billion on the Road to One Million plan. This would increase total wages within the region by more than $8 billion.”[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email info@whitewaterpublications.com or Call/Text 360-922-3092
e-Edition
Local Events