Urban Indiana

Regional collaboration aims to lift city centers

Main Street is the center of the action. It's where people gather and where business takes place.

A cooperative of central Indiana communities wants to expand the impact of Main Street via walkable districts to attract residents and boost innovative development. Think the Arts & Design District and Midtown in Carmel, the Nickel Plate District in Fishers, or Mass Ave and the Bottleworks District in Indianapolis.

The Central Indiana Regional Development Authority is putting Main Street front and center in its bid for a piece of the Indiana Economic Development Corp.'s second round of Indiana Regional Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) grants totaling $500 million.

CIRDA plans to submit a $75 million grant application by the IEDC's Feb. 23 deadline with the theme "Main Street Matters," to invest in walkable and connected districts to link arts, culture and recreation.

The IEDC will announce READI 2.0 recipients in April and begin working with regions in May to identify specific economic development and quality-of-place projects.

More below:
https://www.ibj.com/articles/regional-collaboration-aims-to-lift-city-centers