indiana’s stellar communities program
TRANSCRIPT
Indiana’s
Stellar Communities A first of its kind collaboration between:
Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA)
Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA)
Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)
Introduction
• The Stellar Communities program is a multi-agency partnership designed to fund comprehensive community development projects in rural Indiana communities.
Program Overview
• Stellar Communities embodies collaborative government partnerships to successfully leverage state and federal funding from multiple agencies to undertake large-scale comprehensive community revitalization projects.
• Through this program, Indiana is achieving more with combined resources, making an enduring impact on communities.
Stellar Funding
• OCRA: CDBG allocation (built into Consolidated Plan)
• IHCDA: CDBG-Disaster, CDBG, HOME Investment Partnership Program, Indiana Community Development Fund, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (RHTC)
• INDOT: Transportation Enhancement Grants, Standard Federal Transportation Funding
Stellar Communities Process
• Letter of interest • Evaluations
• Chief Elected Officials of finalist communities attend a workshop
• Finalists submit a Strategic Investment Plan
• Site visits and evaluations
• Award announcements
• Community celebrations
• Follow-up with communities not selected
• Three year construction and implementation
• Continuum of Care on all levels.
Delphi
Princeton
Crawfordsville
New Castle
Richmond
Petersburg
Auburn
Indianapolis
Greencastle
North Vernon
Rochester
Portland Marion
Union City
Shelbyville
Batesville
Bedford
Washington
Pilot Communities
2011:
Greencastle
North Vernon
2012:
Delphi
Princeton
Indiana’s 2011 Pilot Communities
• North Vernon (Jennings County)
• Greencastle (Putnam County)
City of Greencastle
• Revitalize courthouse square and central business district
• Create pedestrian friendly residential areas • Enhance housing options - second story loft
housing in commercial district and new construction in South Court neighborhood
• Home owner repair and improvement • Community health initiatives, including
new community health center and new trail linking community to recreational area
• Partnership with Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
• Technology hub/Wi-Fi bubble in commercial district
City of North Vernon
• Arvin Redevelopment site - 3.5 Acre Brownfield site, clearing the way for private investment
• Carnegie Library Restoration
• Depot Events Center Renovation
• Downtown Streetscapes
• Historic Uptown Streetscape improvements and home owner repair improvement in the Irish Hill neighborhood
• Close Short Street to construct pedestrian-friendly plaza space
• Main Street Development - mixed use for both commercial and residential development
Indiana’s 2012 Pilot Communities
• Delphi (Carroll County)
• Princeton (Gibson County)
City of Delphi
• Revitalize the Delphi Opera House • Create streetscapes that connect the
downtown area. • Provide façade restorations. • Downtown Loft Space. • Home owner repair and
improvement. • Extend the Washington Street
Gateway Trail to connect the historic canal center to downtown and the southern gateway.
• Quiet Zone Improvements
City of Princeton
• Restoration of Downtown facades.
• Preservation of the Historic Princeton Theatre.
• Creation of Bicentennial Plaza
• Downtown streetscape enhancements.
• Downtown Senior Housing cottages.
• Enhancement of the trail system to provide connectivity throughout the city.
• Partnership with Toyota Manufacturing
Strengths
• Indiana’s Stellar Communities Program is a comprehensive community development program focusing on:
▫ Regionalism
▫ Creating expedited physical transformations
▫ Cultivating Relationships/Partnerships
▫ Utilizing shared resources
▫ Engagement of the community in planning process
▫ Acceleration of community economic goals
▫ Community Pride (see next slide)
Program Challenges
• Finding common “language” between multiple agencies
• Scheduling and logistics
• Coordinating multiple projects funded by different agencies and with varying award timelines
• Community coordination of projects-breaking that barrier of agencies and community balance.
• Reduction of available funding
Lessons Learned
• How much we went back to original criteria
▫ Regional, Sustainable, Replicable, Impact
Leveraging other resources and involving other entities
Site Visits were critical
Complementary projects emphasis
Continual discussions to recap and massage
Embedded Community Liaison and constant communication
Quarterly Meetings (and beyond)
Future Program Opportunities • Additional state/federal partners?
• Continuing conversations in regards to concept of regionalism and economic development
• Increase in demand for comprehensive community planning/development
• Evaluation of local investment opportunities generated as a result of Stellar Communities award
How to be Ready
• Updated/recent comprehensive plan
▫ Community input and participation
• Participate in programs to gain experience
▫ Main Street (OCRA)
▫ HTC (OCRA)
▫ Owner-Occupied Rehab (IHCDA)
▫ Federal-aid Transportation Program (INDOT)
• Note: success has been associated with a focus on one area that integrates all sources and makes a big impact
Our community is so fortunate to have
been awarded Stellar status. What will be
accomplished in the next few years will be
amazing to watch. What is already
amazing to watch is the view of how
government CAN work. In a time when
government does not generally get high
marks, it is good to know that Indiana has
a lot of talented, capable, creative, and
efficient people in leadership positions!
-Anita Werling
Delphi Preservation Society
Contact Information
David Terrell
Deputy Chief of Staff-Lt. Governor Skillman
Executive Director-Office of Community and Rural Affairs
One North Capitol Ste. 600
Indianapolis, IN. 46204
317.232.8856