Huntingburg makes the short list for Stellar Community Grant

“Now the real work begins,” Mayor Denny Spinner said over the phone after receiving word that Huntingburg was a finalist in the highly competitive Stellar Communities Grant cycle.

Huntingburg was named as one of the six finalists named by Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann on Wednesday; 14 Indiana cities and towns had applied. Besides Huntingburg, those cities included Decatur, Marion, Mount Vernon, Nashville, and Wabash

The communities were selected by the staffs at the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA), and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT).

“This is a big step forward for our community,” Mayor Spinner said, “I believe it shows that the plan we put together through the input from the citizens this first couple of years has created a list of projects that are doable and can be supported by the state.”

The finalists will receive around $10,000 to $15,000 to further develop their plans and create detailed proposals on specific projects and goals. A selection team will also visit each city and two of the finalists will be announced as this year’s Stellar Communities event later this summer.

“We now have to take that skeleton plan that we submitted for the first round and put some meat to the bones,” Mayor Spinner said.

They will begin to identify other funding sources and private partners to assist in completing these projects. The city will continue to work with Ed Curtin of Latitudes, who worked with Bedford during their winning bid for the Stellar grant. Curtin andb another firm, Taylor Siefker Williams have been involved in the submission package since December.

A kickoff meeting is scheduled for April 11.

“One of the things they (Stellar Community Grant Board) impressed upon us was when we started to put our letter of interest in they wanted projects that have a community impact and a regional impact,” Spinner said. “And I think you can see those impacts in our plan.”

A strong point in Huntingburg’s plan may have been the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s recent approval of rental tax credits for the senior living project soon to be underway at the St. Joseph Hospital property. The development of housing is important for the region as well as the community.

“Whether or not we get the final designation, it is an important step for our community to be considered a finalist,” Spinner said. “It validates the work that is going on and puts us in a position with these agencies that have recognized these are viable projects.”

“The Stellar Communities program is an important way to support and encourage rural and smaller communities to create and implement innovative development plans,” said Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann said in her press release. “Our team looks forward to visiting these communities to learn more about, and see firsthand, how the plans will impact the overall development of these cities and towns.”

Here is the story on Huntingburg’s proposal.

Since 2010, six Hoosier communities have been selected from over 60 applicants to the Stellar Communities program. These communities receive funding, and educational and technical support to make comprehensive economic development plans a reality. For more information on Stellar Communities, including the comprehensive plans of previously designated cities and towns, visit http://www.in.gov/ocra/2601.htm.