State Announces 2017 Stellar Communities
(Image courtesy of the Culver Chamber of Commerce)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowLieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch has unveiled the 2017 Stellar Communities designees. The city of Madison and the town of Culver were chosen out of a group of six finalists and are now eligible to receive funding and access to state resources to assist with substantial quality of place projects.
The winners were selected following visits from representatives of the Stellar Communities Designation Program State Team, which toured the locations of projects included in the communities’ Strategic Investment Plans. Crouch’s office says both communities will meet with the state team in the coming weeks to discuss various aspects of their proposed projects, including feasibility, available funding, timelines and partner participation.
Madison was chosen in the Division I category, which includes communities with a population of 6,000 or more. Some of the projects featured in the city’s SIP include:
- Madison Connector, a bike and pedestrian trail connecting Madison destinations
- Adaptive re-use of historic buildings
- Creation of a mixed-use facility in a former cotton mill
- Improvement of a riverfront park
- Overhauling the community gateways and neighborhood revitalization
Culver was selected as the Division II designee, which covers communities with a population of fewer than 6,000. Projects featured in the town’s SIP include:
- Creating workforce housing with the Sand Hill Farm Development
- Expanding the Lake Maxinkuckee bike and pedestrian trail
- Renovating the local landmark Beach Lodge
- Improving the western gateway into Culver to create an appealing multi-modal corridor into the town
"The hard work, dedication, and passion the six finalist communities demonstrated throughout this process was clearly seen firsthand by the Stellar team during the site visits." Crouch said in a news release. "Each community demonstrated their capacity to strengthen local and regional partnerships in reaching transformative outcomes in their respective communities."
Crouch will host a Stellarbration October 25 at the Indiana Statehouse to celebrate the designees. She and members of the state team will also travel to each community to participate in local Stellarbrations.
You can learn more about the Stellar Communities Designation Program by clicking here.