Indiana’s lieutenant governor expects a big impact from the state’s new regional development initiative. Suzanne Crouch says the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) will provide up to $50 million each, to up to 10 regions.
“And each of those, in turn, are going to attract anywhere from 500 to a billion dollars of investment,” she said. “Can you imagine what that’s going to do to Indiana and to our communities, to have that kind of infrastructure and those kinds of transformational projects going on all at the same time? It’s going to be phenomenal, and it’s going to set us apart from other states.”
Crouch spoke during the Northwest Indiana Forum’s legislative wrap-up Thursday. The group is seeking a READI grant for its seven-county region, which includes Starke and Pulaski counties. President & CEO Heather Ennis said the funding would help check off some remaining items on the Ignite the Region economic development plan. “We are so excited about the READI grant opportunity that has come out of the state legislature this year and the abundance of opportunities that have come around that, that really can help us take that plan to the next level and really can help us get some things done on that plan that otherwise wouldn’t be done,” Ennis said.
But the READI grant doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the state’s regional Stellar Communities program, according to the lieutenant governor. She said Stellar remains on hold for this year, “But you can look for that to come back in the future.”
Crouch explained that Indiana communities not only have access to READI grants but also a combined $2.6 billion in federal American Rescue Plan funds. In a statement to WKVI News last week, Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs Executive Director Denny Spinner said his office and its partners will evaluate the Stellar program on an annual basis.
Locally, Constellation of Starke got $333,000 for being a finalist in 2019 and was in the process of reapplying, when the program was suspended due to COVID-19. Ennis credited Crouch for her efforts in helping Northwest Indiana’s rural communities. “We’ve been so delighted that Starke County has been awarded some Stellar Community dollars,” Ennis said, “and we’re really seeing the fruits of her work that are going to come to fruition through the broadband opportunities happening here in the next couple of years.”
For now, Crouch says OCRA plans to partner with the state’s universities to help small communities figure out the best way to spend their American Rescue Plan money.
