An African proverb, and later a book by first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, says, “It takes a village to raise a child.”
While the societal implications of this child-rearing sentiment are debatable, applying the same principle to growing business in central Indiana is an enterprising and interesting idea.
Anderson recently formed a partnership with Muncie and New Castle, dubbed “The Manufacturing Triangle,” to rebuild this once-vibrant manufacturing region, eliminate the blight overtaking our communities and capitalize on a young and talented workforce.
Officials are smartly setting aside boundaries and politics to focus on working together to improve the quality of our region for business and quality of life for existing and potential residents that new businesses would employ.
Anderson will be trying to capitalize on its growing reputation as a tech-friendly city with projects like the Flagship-Purdue Polytechnic Institute. Carving out this niche will only be bolstered by work to improve the downtown area, which could include more downtown housing and a mixed-use riverfront, something all residents of Madison County could utilize.
Muncie, which has as many empty factories as Anderson, has a manufacturing pathway project in mind as well as a corridor to connect Ball State University to downtown and a revamp of its waterfront area. New Castle, home to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, is focusing on a sports, health and wellness district.
It will take nontraditional sources of funding, such as federal grants, to accomplish these goals. That’s where the partnership comes in. As a united front, the cities will be able to apply for and increase their chances of receiving federal funding.
Each of these cities is facing the same challenges – a loss of jobs, rundown neighborhoods and the flight of their young residents, who must go elsewhere to find gainful employment.
Working together when they have the same goals makes sense, not only in competing for funding with major cities and attracting businesses to the region but in seeking solutions to their common problems.
A homogenized region won’t be the answer, but three unique, bustling cities that share ideas and offer a support system for each other could be the key to rearing business and industry in central Indiana.