Local coalition to receive $30 million in state grants

A coalition of local communities has been approved for funding under a state program to stimulate development and investment.

The South Central Indiana Talent Region sought $50 million dollars from the state’s READI program, or Regional Economic Acceleration Development Initiative, with a proposal submitted in September. But Gov. Eric Holcomb announced yesterday afternoon that the local coalition had been approved for a $30 million READI grant.

The coalition includes the communities of Columbus, Seymour, North Vernon and Edinburgh, and Bartholomew, Jackson, Jennings and portions of Shelby and Johnson counties.

The governor and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation board met yesterday afternoon at Butler University to make the awards. The initiative, first announced in May, had $500 million to give out to coalitions. The program requires all READI funds be matched on a dollar for dollar basis by local governments or other public sources.

South Central Indiana Talent Region put together a 187-page grant proposal offering details on 25 projects and initiatives to be implemented in the region. Those include:

1. Mobility Test Park & Proving Ground — Columbus, $31.8 million.
2.  Propeller Innovation Center & Venture Studio — Columbus, $6.7 million.
3. Seymour High School Career & Technical Program Extension — Seymour, $10 million.
4. AirPark Columbus College Campus Access & Success Project — Columbus, $19.8 million.
5. Jackson County Learning Center Expansion — Seymour, $2 million
6. Panther Technology Education Center — North Vernon, $10 million.
7. Arvin Manufacturing Blight Elimination Project — North Vernon, $1.6 million.
8. Country Squire Lakes Housing Redevelopment — North Vernon, $17 million.
9. Downtown Columbus Housing & Urban Grocer — Columbus, $40 million.
10. Edinburgh Housing and Road Extension Project — Edinburgh, $8.5 million.
11. Housing Developer Incentives Program — Regionwide, $7 million.
12. Jennings County Broadband Expansion — Jennings County, $6.8 million.
13. Land Bank of South Central Indiana — Regionwide, $10 million.
14. North Vernon Knobstone Subdivision — North Vernon, $28.6 million.
15. Uniontown Sewer Expansion — Uniontown, $8 million.
16. “Welcome Home” Talent Attraction Program — Regionwide, $1 million.
17. Workforce/Affordable Multi-Generational Housing — Seymour, $13 million.
18. Chateau de Pique — Jackson County, $3 million.
19. Columbus Riverfront Project — Columbus, $10 million.
20. Downtown Hotel & Conference Center — Columbus, $44 million.
21. Downtown Revitalization Fund — Regionwide, $5 million.
22. NexusPark — Columbus, $78 million.
23. Quarry Adventure Park — North Vernon, $5 million.
24.  Schneck Cancer Center Linear Accelerator Project — Seymour, $7 million.
25. Shared Arts-Based Placemaking Programming — Regionwide, $600,000.

Five of the 17 regions that applied received the full $50 million dollars offered by the state.

Accelerate Rural Indiana which includes Greensburg, Shelbyville, Batesville and Rushville as well as Decatur, Rush and Shelby counties applied for $50 million and received $20 million according to the governor.

Indiana Uplands which included Brown and Monroe counties along with others, was awarded $30 million.