Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced 22 rural Indiana communities will receive more than $12.5 million in federal grant funding to create and expand community facilities, remove blight and improve water infrastructure.
The State of Indiana distributes Community Development Block Grant funds to rural communities, which assist units of local government with various community projects such as infrastructure improvement, downtown revitalization, public facilities and economic development.
The Town of Winamac was awarded a grant from the Blight Clearance Program. They have been given $252,440 to demolish a former grain elevator, located at 302 South Logan Street. The elevator ceased operations in 2007 and currently is said to pose a risk to the community. The project will include demolition of the primarily concrete and metal structure, removal of debris, and conversion to urban green space.
The Blight Clearance Program strives to encourage Indiana communities with blighted properties to focus on long-term community development and revitalization through improving quality of place, generating jobs and spurring economic revitalization. Eligible projects to receive grant funding through BCP are deteriorated or abandoned downtown buildings, or vacant and unusable industrial sites.
