Dearborn County aims to show ‘Stellar’ reputation with designation
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Officials in Dearborn County say the newly awarded Stellar Pathways designation is recognition of what they already know—that the county is on an upward trajectory.
The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs named the county one of two Stellar designees, awarding $6.5 million to support a variety of quality of place projects.
“The Stellar program really gave our communities the chance to come together and put together a cohesive story and help show the state of Indiana that, in fact, Dearborn County has a lot of really strong positive momentum,” said Mike Perleberg, executive director of One Dearborn Economic Development.
Perleberg told Inside INdiana Business that the county’s plan was the result of a concerted effort to engage the community.
“We were very intentional about going out and meeting people where they were as part of our engagement,” Perleberg said. “It allowed us to really hear from folks on a variety of different issues. There were some things that kind of commonly came up, specifically around housing, parks and trails and downtown redevelopment. We were able to have some really substantive conversations about solutions to the problems that our Dearborn County citizens were identifying.”
The projects outlined by the county focus on the city of Greendale, the town of Dillsboro, and the community of Bright, as well as the county as a whole. The common issues raised by residents, Perleberg said, fit well with the types of projects that could be included in the county’s Stellar pitch to OCRA.
Downtown development
In Greendale, officials will use Stellar funding to enhance the streetscape along Ridge Avenue in the city’s downtown, with the goal of creating a “walkable, attractive destination supporting local businesses and fostering community growth.”
Ryan Goode, executive director of Greendale Main Street and a member of the Greendale City Council, said effort aligns with the city’s 2023 Main Street Preservation and Development Plan.
“It’s going to include a lot of streetscaping in our proposed downtown district,” Goode said. “We’re going to include some work like sidewalks, curb bump outs, parking on the streets. We’re looking at different lighting signal improvements, and then also hopefully developing a plaza space…a downtown commons kind of area.”
Goode said the Stellar designation is what will bring the project to a reality in a much quicker fashion.
“It’s helping us take something that would have taken probably 15-20 years to do that we’re going to get done in five years,” he said. “It wouldn’t be possible at this stage for us without the Stellar designation.”
The town of Dillsboro had a similar Downtown Revitalization Plan, which is being supported by Stellar funding. The town aims to implement pedestrian- and bike-friendly enhancements and streetscape improvements to revitalize its Historic District.
Housing
One Dearborn is also focusing its Stellar funding on two specific housing projects.
In the community of Bright, the organization will use $1.5 million to expand the North Dearborn Village Apartments, which provides independent living for seniors. The complex currently has 80 apartments, and the expansion will add 16 more to help address a growing need for more senior housing.
Additionally, the organization will kick off an infill housing program in Greendale, Dillsboro and Bright. The initial phase of the program will create 15 senior rental units that will also serve to eliminate blight and increase property values.
“We’re reinvesting in those areas, so that through creating these new downtown spaces, there’ll be more people living there to use and activate those spaces,” Perleberg said.
Perleberg expressed appreciation for OCRA and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch for selecting Dearborn County as a Stellar designee, noting that he’s excited for what’s to come.
“We already felt like we had a pretty good thing going here. But it’s it’s always nice when folks at the state and beyond our community recognize that and want to come in and partner in reinvesting in Dearborn County.”
You can learn more about Dearborn County’s Stellar plans by clicking here.
Wabash County was the other Stellar Pathways designee, and we’ll have more on the county’s plans in Friday’s INside Edge Midday Report newsletter.