BEDFORD — Bedford Mayor Shawna Girgis learned Monday the city has made the first cut of finalists for the 2013 Stellar Communitiesprogram, a state grant program designed to fund comprehensive community development projects in Indiana’s smaller communities.
“We are very pleased to be listed among the final six,” Girgis said. “Now, we need to be among those final two.”
The finalists are Angola, Bedford, Frankfort, Petersburg, Richmond and Wabash. They will participate in additional workshops and planning sessions to further craft their submissions.
Each of the six finalists will host a site visit before the two Stellar awards are announced.
This is the third year for the Stellar. Bedford was a finalist in 2011, but failed to advance in 2012 when 40 communities applied for the highly-competitive grants. Twenty-four applied this year.
Sheryl Sharpe, development manager for Milestone Ventures, is heading Bedford’s 2013 project entry with assistance from Ed Curtin, a planning consultant from Columbus.
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).
“Our Stellar Community finalists are working hard to create effective community and economic development,” said Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann. “Their intense planning and collaborative efforts strive to attract additional investments and improve the quality of life for their hometown residents.”
Dax Norton, executive director of OCRA, said the quality of this year’s entries was excellent.
“It was a difficult decision to narrow the field to six,” he explained. “Many communities diligently worked to improve their prior applications, and new communities stepped forward to be considered.”