Taylor University marks beginning of ‘Main Street Mile’ connector
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Gov. Eric Holcomb joined officials from Taylor University and the town of Upland on Monday to launch what the university is calling the largest series of revitalization projects in the small town’s history.
Ground was broken on a mile-long pedestrian pathway known as the Main Street Mile, designed to connect Upland’s downtown and business district with the Taylor campus. Officials then cut the ribbon on two major university developments that President Michael Lindsay says will help support increased enrollment at Taylor.
Lindsay told Inside INdiana Business that the university aims to be a leader in showcasing how a university can help build the community surrounding it.
“There are not a lot of great examples across the U.S. where that’s occurring,” he said. “We think there’s an opportunity here to really become a national role model of how does a university work with its friends and neighbors in the community and help build the most charming small town in America? So that’s our vision, and we believe we’re well on the way.”
In December, Taylor received a $30 million grant from Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc.’s College and Community Collaboration Initiative to develop the Main Street Mile initiative.
The projects are being spearheaded by 1846 Enterprises Inc., a not-for-profit economic and community development organization led by executive director Andrea Masvero.
The pedestrian connector, which is expected to be completed next summer, will feature widened sidewalks and improved lighting to provide easy access for students and residents to frequent area businesses.
“How do we get more people better able to utilize the businesses that are in town and frequent them on a regular basis?” Masvero said. “We also look at it from a health and wellness perspective. How do you create quality of life, giving people an opportunity to socialize, connect with their neighbors and use the pathway to do those things?”
The pedestrian connector is just part of the development that’s already happening in the small town located about 60 miles northeast of Indianapolis.
A 28-unit market rate apartment complex known as Haven on Second is currently under construction on land previously owned by the university and slated for completion this fall. Masvero said the project will help meet an important need in the market for rental housing.
Plans are also in place to expand the Kershner Commons neighborhood with 22 new single-family lots, as well as up to 40 units of housing for individuals aged 55 and up. That’s in addition to an expansion of the town’s public library, additional trails connected to the Cardinal Greenway and a new community park.
The projects are all being supported by not just the Lilly Endowment grant, but an additional $70 million in private investment, donations and other grants raised by the university.
“We’re going to be working with architects and urban planners to bring bring these visions to life in a very practical way,” Masvero said. “We’re just interacting with a lot of people in a lot of different ways to help bring this big picture to life in a way that brings all the pieces together.”
Future developments could also include a boutique collegiate hotel, retail and office space, and a destination restaurant, though those projects are still in the early planning phase.
During the festivities on Monday, the university joined the governor in cutting the ribbon on Taylor’s new Residential Village, a five-building complex that adds about 150 beds on campus. Lindsay said the project was completed just as the university gets set to welcome its largest incoming class.
“We’re seeing record enrollment, and we were running out of space on campus,” he said. “We’re grateful for this Residential Village. Thirty-two students in a building. Five buildings got constructed in less than a year, and we’re excited to be able to welcome those students back to campus.”
The university also cut the ribbon on Habecker Hall, named for former Taylor President Gene Habecker and his wife, Marylou. The venue serves as an event space that Lindsay said will be the largest meeting space available between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne.
Taylor said the investment being made in these projects builds on the $100 million it has already invested in on-campus improvements, including the recently completed Horne Academic Center, which houses the university’s film and media program, as well as the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Renovations are currently underway on the Nussbaum Science Center, which will serve as a training facility for the university’s future School of Nursing once the program receives accreditation.
“Our hope,” Lindsay said, “is that these unprecedented investments will help to catalyze the local economy while preserving the charm and warmth Upland is known for.”