Farmland receives

state OCRA grant

Lt. Governor Becky Skillman (R-Bedford) Oct. 18 announced the winners of 13 Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) downtown enhancement grants totaling $213,600. The grant awards include $15,600 for Historic Farmland USA initiative to address recent construction in the community's area.

The new grant program is administered by Indiana Main Street and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA). The program was designed to encourage innovative approaches to activities that support and promote community-based planning, marketing and restoration efforts.

"The downtown Enhancement Grants were created to help revitalize our small cities and towns through community-based promotion and restoration," Skillman said. "The projects that are being honored today represent the rich resources Indiana's downtowns and city centers hold."

The Downtown Enhancement Grants are directed to OCRA's strategic plan, Breaking the Boundaries, and the National Main Street Four Point Approach which emphasizes design, organization, promotion and economic restructuring. Lt. Governor Skillman, OCRA and Indiana Main Street created the grants in June to provide more value-added incentives to communities that participate in the Indiana Main Street Program.

Funded projects were eligible to receive up to $20,000. The first ever Downtown Enhancement Grant recipients are:

€ Brookville Main Street, $10,000 for a revolving loan fund for facade rehabilitation.

€ Delphi Main Street, $20,000 in funding for a facade restoration program.

€ Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville, $20,000 for a marketing campaign for a downtown exterior loan program.

€ Heart of the Tree City (Greensburg), $20,000 for a low-interest revolving loan fund for facade rehabilitation.

€ Historic Farmland USA, Inc., $15,600 for a Help Put Farmland Back Together advertising campaign.

€ Kokomo Downtown Association, $20,000 for the design of way-finding signage program.

€ Madison Main Street Program, $20,000 for a city branding campaign.

€ Main and Market Streets (Nappanee), $20,000 for the renovation and illumination of local heritage murals.

€ Main Street Rensselaer, $6,000 for its Tuesday Nite Market program.

€ Main Street Shelbyville, Inc., $20,000 for a facade grant program.

€ Mitchell on the Move, $6,000 for a Mitchell Main Street initiative marketing program.

€ Vevay Main Street, $16,000 for its Shows on Second Saturday performance series.

€ Wabash Marketplace, Inc., $20,000 for a revolving loan fund to promote downtown businesses.

Indiana Main Street is a division of the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs was established to provide economic revitalization and professional assistance to participating communities. Indiana Main Street encourages the revitalization and restoration of downtown areas in Indiana cities and towns.

--Bill Richmond