BEDFORD —Mayor Shawna Girgis and a team of city leaders will spend the next six weeks fine-tuning their proposal as they prepare for a formal presentation to the committee responsible for awarding the two 2013 Stellar Communities grants.
Girgis learned in March the city is among six finalists contending for the lucrative grants designed to fund comprehensive community development projects in Indiana’s smaller communities.
The finalists are Angola, Bedford, Frankfort, Petersburg, Richmond and Wabash. This is the third year for the Stellar program. Bedford was a finalist in 2011, but failed to advance in 2012 when 40 communities applied for the highly-competitive grants. Twenty-four sought the awards this year.
Princeton and Delphi were last year’s winners. Princeton is expected to reap approximately $18.6 million in grants over the next three years. Greencastle and North Vernon were the 2011 winners.
The stellar project is a joint endeavor between the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA), and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT).
After learning Bedford had survived the cut Girgis journeyed to Indianapolis to meet with representatives of the sponsoring agencies. She received “positive feedback” regarding the community’s letter of intent.
Sheryl Sharpe, development manager for Milestone Ventures Inc., designed Bedford’s 2013 project entry with assistance from local leaders and Ed Curtin, a planning consultant from Columbus.
During a meeting of the Bedford Revitalization Commission this week RDC President Pat Robbins agreed to team with Bedford Clerk-Treasurer Julie Blackwell-Chase and Angie Steeno, senior manager at Crowe-Horwath, to assist in the formal presentation of financial data to the selection committee May 21.
Girgis noted Marla Jones and Gene McCracken of the Lawrence County Economic Growth Council, Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce President Jamie Medlock, Lawrence County Community Foundation Executive Director Hope Flores, Hoosier Uplands CEO David Miller, and Bedford Director of Operations Kyle Brown were among others offering input to the city’s plan.
Stellar officials awarded $10,000 to each finalist to assist in fine-tuning the final submissions.
“Right now we are refining and detailing the different projects,” Girgis explained. “They want us to layout everything we want to do, and then we’ll figure out how to fund these through Stellar’s sponsoring organizations if we are selected for one of the grants.
“They expect us to prioritize the projects we’ve proposed, then they’ll seek to match their resources with our wishes. In the letter of intent we laid out what we perceive as our order of projects.”
According to the proposal submitted the city seeks to: ensure a trained and ready workforce; promote economic development; cultivate a vibrant downtown district; and enhance the city’s quality of life.
Girgis wants to transform the city’s hub into a popular gathering place. To accomplish that goal the plan proposes refashioning the old JC Penney Building, which once served as the Downtown Convention Center, into the Stonegate Arts & Education Center. The old Milwaukee Depot would be moved to the courthouse square opposite Harp Commons. The renovated rail station would serve as a trail head leading to an urban trail, public plaza, festival space, and senior rental housing.
Hoosier Uplands would spearhead development of the senior apartments, facade restoration, and downtown business development by renovating retail space and offering it to businesses at “below-market lease rates that will gradually increase over time and allow for the purchase of the building.”
Girgis said she and her team look forward to presenting those ideas and others to the selection committee.
“We should know whether or not we’re one of the two award winners by early June,” she said.
Jones, who played a prominent role in designing the city’s letter of intent the past three years, said she is proud of the current proposal.
“The Stellar program is an amazing opportunity,” she explained. “We work hard on making the community better each and every day, but receiving the Stellar would advance our timeline and put us on the fast track. Projects that normally would take 15 years could be finished in five. We already have a great community here, and it’s our goal to make it even better for future generations to come.