The Decatur County Inclusion Park will include playground equipment made for children of all ages and all abilities. During Covid-19, children were encouraged to play outside, but no parks within the City of Greensburg (or the region) have ADA accessible playground equipment; therefore, physically disabled children were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Inclusion Park will eliminate this barrier to playing safely outside. Adults can also take part in playtime with their children on the equipment, making it an enjoyable afternoon for the whole family. A task force has been assembled to work with experts in the field to design the park according to the topography of the area. Focus will be placed on the physical accommodations, such as meeting ADA accessibility requirements; engagement of the senses so kids can explore the various opportunities of the space; and integration with other park features, so the kids playing in the Inclusion Park do not feel separated from other children. The park will be a community gathering space, where kids learn, play, explore together, and provide opportunities for underserved populations win the region.By being integrated with the existing amenities of Rebekah Park, the Inclusion Park will be able to capitalize the existing splash pad, amphitheater, picnic pavilions, dog park and paved walking trail featured at the popular location. This saves on infrastructure costs that normally would be incurred in the construction of a new park.

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a.	In November 2021, after a multi-state search, Diamond Pet Foods, a nationally recognized top producer of high- quality pet foods, selected the City of Rushville as the site for the company’s sixth manufacturing facility in the US. The planned 700,000 square foot manufacturing and distribution facility, with state-of-the-art machinery and equipment, will be at least a $259 million investment and bring more than 170 new jobs to the ARI region by 2023. With an average wage of $20.21 per hour, Diamond’s presence in the region will promise to drive up median household income and enable area residents to climb out of the economic hardship experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic. The City of Rushville has committed $1,485,741 of READI Funds and $7,560,000 of public funding to extend water and sanitary sewer service to the site. This expansion project will include a new booster pump station, extension of roughly 3,000 lineal feet of 12-inch water main, a new sanitary sewer lift station, extension of sanitary sewer main, and an elevated water tank. READI funds will be utilized to purchase and construct the elevated water tank. To ensure that the city will deliver utility service in a timely fashion, the City of Rushville City Council has adopted a resolution authorizing the use of Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) project delivery method for use on this project. Construction will begin in 2023 and conclude in Q1 of 2024.

Although Shelby County has childcare options, including homes, registered unlicensed ministries, and center-based programming, only 8 of the total 1,537 infants and toddlers are currently enrolled in a designated high-quality care environment (e.g., Early Head Start), leaving 98% of our community's youngest children without access to a designated high-quality early care and education environment. Often times, Shelby County residents most negatively impacted by the pandemic, low income residents whose work requires in-person attendance, are disproportionately impacted by this lack of quality childcare.Inadequate access to childcare is a major hindrance to the attraction of talent to the region and is often a barrier to workforce entry for local unemployed residents. The City of Shelbyville and Early Learning Shelby County (ELSC) are combining resources to acquire a stand-alone childcare facility to be strategically located in Shelbyville’s Tech Park. The City of Shelbyville and ELSC have committed $3 million and $2 million to the project, respectively. Construction of the project is slated to begin in the fall of 2022 and will be complete in the fall of 2023. ELSC, a non-profit organization, will own the center and Bright Horizons will serve as the provider after the acquisition of the completed building. READI dollars will be utilized to help acquire the facility through the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) procurement process.

The mission for the creation of Kids Discovery Factory (KDF) is to inspire young learners to innovate and create through exploration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM), with the primary goal of advancing STEAM exploration through the installation of a permanent children’s discovery center/children’s museum.

KDF, a non-profit community organization, intends to renovate a one-hundred-year-old three- story building that will be convenient to the entire southeastern Indiana region, at 110 Sycamore Street in downtown Batesville. The neighboring vacant lot will accommodate a modern industrial addition to include an elevator, new central staircase, and multi-level exhibit space, as well as an interactive outdoor exhibit courtyard. The building and lot were purchased for KDF by Batesville Tool & Die.

KDF will feature world-class exhibits, engaging programs, and exciting STEAM learning labs, providing a first-of-its-kind educational opportunity for students in the region. Featured exhibits highlight manufacturing in The Factory, creative design, and construction in Make Shop and Built It, and interactive exploration of water, air, light, and sound. KDF also aims to partner with The Smithsonian Institute to include a Spark! Lab invention studio. The project started in March 2021 and is expected to be completed in August 2024.

In 2020, Greensburg Community Schools donated the 10-acre location for a park to the City of Greensburg. Pirate Park will be home to numerous soccer fields, providing an opportunity for thousands of visitors from across the region to gather for soccer tournaments and events. But perhaps the greatest and simplest purpose of Pirate Park will be the addition of another greenspace for people of all ages to take part in outdoor physical activity, a public health and quality of life necessity amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic. Decatur County Memorial Hospital’s Community Health Needs assessment lists increased opportunities for physical activity as a prime objective for the area, supported by both community input and obesity rates. The covid pandemic only increased this need for outdoor fitness outlets for our residents. The project will: 1. Construct walking paths that connect soccer fields at the facility, joining with the existing and future paths; and 2. Construct a central pavilion, providing locker rooms, a concessions area, public restrooms, and storage space. The READI funds will be used to build a portion of the central pavilion. The remaining funding for the project, $1,150,000, will be provided by the City of Greensburg, the Greensburg Redevelopment commission, and the Indiana Destination Development Corporation. The project is expected in November 2022 and conclude in December 2022. The project will be procured via the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) process.

The mission and purpose of the 10,000 sq ft Batesville Skatepark Project is to encourage physical activity and creative outdoor play by offering a cost-free opportunity within our community for people of all ages and skill levels. Local medical professionals are seeing an increase in mental health issues with our teens and the incidence is worsening as a result of the pandemic. In addition, children and teens are more socially isolated than ever before, not only because of the pandemic but also because of the tremendous use of electronic devices in and out of school.

Physical exercise, outdoor activity, creative play, and social interaction are all proven ways to decrease anxiety and depression. A skatepark offers all of these. The Covid-19 pandemic has amplified the critical importance of outdoor public spaces, not only for the space they provide for physical activity and exercise but also for the space they provide for safely interacting with others. Outdoor recreational spaces, such as the skatepark, provide a multitude of benefits to our community by reducing social isolation, increasing physical activity, and providing a place for positive community interactions, regardless of household income status. 

The proposed skatepark is located adjacent to the Batesville Baseball Plex and Bill Gillespie Soccer Park, providing families with entertainment while visiting the area during soccer and baseball games and tournaments and providing an alternative activity for teens who don’t play organized sports. The planned size of the skatepark will be 10,000 square feet. This size is large enough to hold skating competitions which will drive visitors to the ARI region.

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Crestview Estates is a 44.4-acre subdivision that has been proposed by local developers for the purpose of creating single-family and multi-family workforce housing. A total of seventy-eight (78) homes will be constructed by Werner Garrett Ventures LLC to meet the current local demand for homes valued at $300,000 and below. READI funds will be used to extend the municipal sewer to the subdivision. Construction began in April 2022 and is expected to be completed in June 2022. The City of Batesville will be providing public match and Werner Garrett Ventures LLC will be providing private match towards the project.

Lakeshore Village is a project proposed with LSL Holdings LLC to create a mixed-density residential development on the southern end of the Bischoff Reservoir in Batesville. With outstanding access from Highway 129, this development is specifically designed to attract a broad range of buyers with multiple price points and product types. The anticipated housing “type” and price range of each unit is:  53 “cottage homes” with an estimated value of $300,000 to $500,000; 30 “estate homes” with an estimated value of $500,000 and above; 81-111 “village homes” with an estimated value of $250,000 to $350,000; 151-191 “lifestyle” apartments; and 24 “duplex patio” home lots. READI contributions to the project cost will be earmarked for extending sewer infrastructure to the site and constructing new sidewalk infrastructure, connecting residents to the YMCA in Batesville. At the YMCA, they will have the ability to access a trail system that leads to downtown Batesville, local parks, and various other outdoor amenities. Construction of the sewer and trail is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2022 and be complete by the fall of 2023. As an infrastructure project, the project will contribute to addressing climate change by reducing commuter vehicle travel times (workforce living closer to regional employers) and increasing the walkability of Batesville (adding trails to connect community destinations). Matching funds will be provided by the City of Batesville and LSL Holdings LLC.

Birge and Held plans to use the former Porter Pool and Coca-Cola Bottling Plant to create a mixed-use development named “The Mill.” The proposed plan would create 168 new, multi-family dwelling units with a commercial component. The potential commercial uses could be general office, co-working space, restaurant/brewery/distillery, or some other general commercial use. The multi-family dwelling units will contain a combination of Studio, 1-Bedroom, 2-Bedroom, and 3-Bedroom units. It is also the intent of the development to tie into the new Storybook Trail that is directly north of the Porter Pool site. 

The project will use a combination of Housing Tax Credits, State of Indiana Development Tax Credits, Tax Increment Financing, Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority “Development Funds” and private financing. All of these sources have been committed or are in the process of being committed. READI funds will be utilized to extend sanitary sewer infrastructure to service the development. 

The project responds to the needs of the COVID-19 Pandemic by helping to alleviate the negative economic and health impacts of COVID by helping to address the acute shortage of affordable housing in the State while also providing residents with both physical and mental activities to help improve mental health which has also been greatly impacted by COVID-19. The project is estimated to start in September 2022 and be completed by May 2023.

Successful completion of dual credit courses allows current high school students to earn both high school and college credit for taking college-level classes in participating high schools. Batesville High School offers dual credit and dual enrollment opportunities for high school students ready to begin college-level work. These are accredited Ivy Tech college courses taught at Batesville High School, through equivalent high school courses sanctioned by the Indiana Department of Education. These classes are taught by highly qualified high school teachers who meet the same credentialing standards as those required of on-campus Ivy Tech faculty.

There is no tuition charged for Ivy Tech’s high school- based dual credit courses, allowing high school students to earn college credits without earning college-level debt. Often, students will graduate high school with nearly a year’s worth of college-level credits to begin their college careers. This huge head- start puts students on the fast track to earn a college degree.
Our region understands the importance of providing students with access to dual credit courses. 

This READI project provides funding to expand Batesville High School’s dual credit offering, building upon Batesville’s already successful dual credit program. By continuing to invest in dual credit courses, our region can enable disadvantaged students in the region to pursue a college degree, strengthening the region’s educational attainment rates and providing increased economic opportunity for students in the region.

Welding is part of the Industrial Technology program at Ivy Tech. Within this program, there are three degrees available that focus on welding, the Welding Certification (CT), the Welding Technical Certificate (TC) and the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Industrial Technology. When a student completes the whole program, they will have earned four certificates from the American Welding Society (AWS), OSHA 10 certification, and have the soft skills that all employers desire. 

The ARI plan would create a welding program in conjunction with Batesville’s Ivy Tech Community College. This project would allow the region to purchase welding equipment and fund faculty members to teach welding courses in Batesville. As a result, economically disadvantaged students in the region would have the opportunity to earn a debt-free education that enables them to meet the growing demand for quality, high-wage welding jobs. Additionally, additional welders in the region would support regional businesses and create opportunities for the expansion of manufacturing-related enterprises in the region. The project is estimated to start in March 2023 and end in May 2024. ARPA funds will be used to fund classroom renovation. Matching funds will be provided by Batesville Community School Corporation, Batesville RDC, and Wood-Mizer.

For years, public feedback in Rush County has pointed to the need for a community center to address the economic, population, and health challenges currently being experienced by the county. The Rush County Community Foundation (RCCF) has developed a community center concept that will support all ages and socioeconomic statuses in the community. RCCF’s community center concept will redevelop a large blighted and empty retail center in Rushville’s Opportunity Zone into a service hub for Rush County, bringing 5 nonprofit, social services, and government- related service providers together under one roof while also creating a recreation destination for the region through a fitness center and daycare facility. The Community Center directly supports ARPA’s Covid-19 pandemic relief aims by directly impacting Rushville’s low to moderate income households in the following ways: Public health - increases access to mental health, substance abuse, and physical fitness services; Negative economic impacts - assists households through food assistance programs and provides aid to numerous nonprofit organizations; Disproportionately impacted communities - increases access to early learning and childcare. READI funds will be utilized for the new construction of the facility. Construction documents for the project have already been completed and construction is scheduled to start in March 2023 and conclude in Summer of 2024.

A local family recently sold a portion of their interstate frontage farm to the Greensburg Redevelopment Commission. The Redevelopment Commission views this property, with two lakes on site, as a prime asset that can be leveraged for a housing development to expand the region’s housing product. The Redevelopment Commission posted a Request for Proposals for developers to submit their plans for the lakefront property and made the decision to partner with a regional developer/builder to develop the property. The selected proposal calls for more than 70 middle-income homes to be built on the 25-acre property. This project would be the City of Greensburg’s largest housing addition in more than 15 years, accomplishing a need that was identified in the city’s 2018 housing study. The City of Greensburg Redevelopment Commission have entered into a development agreement with Beacon Homes to deliver this project. READI investment in this project would extend water and wastewater utility infrastructure to the property to ensure that the development is feasible. The City of Greensburg Redevelopment Commission will provide matching public funds and Beacon Homes will provide the matching private funds. Construction on this project will begin in the Fall of 2022 and be completed in the Fall of 2026. Expending READI funds in initial phases of the project to ensure expenditure deadlines will be a top priority.

The purpose of the Preserving Main Street project is to protect and enhance downtown Greensburg. This project makes several improvements to the east side of the city square, which surrounds the community’s historic courthouse tree tower, by: 1) Renovating a condemned 3-story structure known as the Odd Fellows building. Once renovated, this historic building offers opportunities for both retail and housing. 2) Add parking and streetscape improvements to five blocks in downtown Greensburg, replacing trees and landscaping, updating lighting, replacing sidewalks and curbs, resurfacing roads, providing site furnishings, and providing safer pedestrian crossings to better service businesses and social gatherings. Construction for this project will commence in the Spring of 2024 and will conclude in the Winter of 2024. Funding for the Odd Fellows building renovation will be provided by a private developer and the City of Greensburg while the streetscape improvements will be funded by READI and The City of Greensburg. READI funds will be used to purchase concrete for sidewalk improvements and to purchase landscaping, furnishings, and other streetscape related improvements.

The City of Rushville is partnering with a local developer (S&W Homes) to build 33 single-family workforce homes. The North Washington Housing project is located on property that connects an existing neighborhood with West 16th Street, a newly extended roadway that has been identified in the City of Rushville’s Comprehensive Plan as a key corridor for housing development. The North Washington housing project is near two current Rushville housing projects that will soon add 40 market-rate apartments and 64 higher-end custom homes. Each of these housing projects are located within walking distance of an elementary school, Rush County’s middle school and high school, Memorial Park, the Rush County Boys and Girls Club, and the city’s major retail outlets. The City of Rushville and Rush County Agricultural Association completed a land swap that enables the city to bring this housing project to fruition. The North Washington Housing project extends utility infrastructure to this property and enables the developer to expand the community’s workforce housing options, providing an opportunity to expand the region’s population and local public-school enrollment. READI funding will help support the utility and site infrastructure for the project. Approximate timeline is June 2024 to September 2024.

During public input sessions for The City of Shelbyville Parks Department 2017 Master Plan, Shelbyville residents expressed a desire for live entertainment in our parks. The discussion specifically referenced an outdoor amphitheater venue. Following the master plan, a professional grade cross country course was built in the same proximity as the planned outdoor theater. This cross-country course is one of the best in the country and has recently hosted the Big 10 Athletic Conference’s men’s and women’s cross-country finals. The course is also the home course for NCAA Division 3 Franklin and Earlham colleges and hosts many high school and middle school events, drawing over ten thousand athletes and supporters to Shelby County annually.
The construction of a viewing/seating mound has already been completed. This mound will serve as  seating for an outdoor concert performance and for spectators of a cross country event. The infrastructure to serve an amphitheater is located within a short distance of the proposed location, making the costs negligible. 
READI dollars will be used for engineering design, sitework, and construction of the amphitheater. Partnering with the City of Shelbyville, this project is expected to take place from May 2024 through October 2025.

Founded in 1988, the Shelby County Players (SCP) is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization that has produced over 150 plays and musicals, and annually involves over 100 adult and youth as actors, directors, designers, and crew. Shelby County Players desires a safe, accessible facility to fulfill its mission. To that end, we have purchased a building and are now engaging in a capital campaign to provide the funds to repurpose it for our award winning community theater. This new theater will provide opportunities for people to come together for a common purpose, unlocking creative outlets for individuals that will enrich the community and promote the quality of life in Shelby County. Scope of the project:
• Buildout of former bowling alley to provide second level and expansion of facility adding 5000 sq. feet
• Creation of a full-size theater stage with ample wing space
• Theater auditorium with seating for 175
• State of the art Stage Fly System, LED lighting and sound systems
• Spaces for set design, prop design, costume design, storage, lobby area and dressing rooms
• Building exterior façade change
Community theater is a key “quality of life” component for our local economy and a component to attracting new
businesses. READI funds will be used for the construction of Phase I of the project. Funding contributors are the City of Shelbyville and Shelby County Players. Approximate timeline is 01/24-08/25.

Accelerate Rural Indiana is focused on delivering lasting growth and success to one of Indiana’s greatest assets, its rural frontier. ARI was awarded $20 million in READI funds, the highest per-capita READI award in the State of Indiana. Collectively, ARI’s $20 million READI award is expected to attract nearly $500 million in public, private and nonprofit dollars to the region.

Region Overview:

Accelerate Rural Indiana

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Projects in Accelerate Rural Indiana