MUNCIE — Although the city hasn't yet heard if it will win any state funding for its $48-million riverfront development plan, work on the project is moving forward.
The city on Wednesday signed an agreement with a Wisconsin-based planning and design firm that will oversee the development, if it happens, on the downtown side of the White River, where Mayor Dennis Tyler hopes to see several city blocks and a long stretch of riverfront developed with a mix of commercial and residential buildings.
The agreement with Vandewalle & Associates makes it clear that the city is intent on pursuing the riverfront plan even if it doesn't win funds in December from Indiana's Regional Cities Initiative.
According to the contract, Vandewalle will "assist with aggressive lobbying and grant writing for key public improvements if (Regional Cities Initiative) application not awarded."
"I'm very optimistic (about the riverfront project)," Tyler told The Star Press Wednesday, the day after he was unopposed in his bid for re-election to a second term. "Vandewalle has the talents to put together the right type of requests for proposal (for the riverfront project)."
Based in Madison and Milwaukee Wisconsin, Vandewalle bills itself as a firm that consults with communities on planning, architecture, marketing, real estate and redevelopment. "We assemble heavy-hitting teams from these experts to add value at just the right time and deliver on each project precisely as needed," the company's website says.
Vandewalle's resume includes riverfront development in Racine, Wisconsin, as well as projects in several cities. Vandewalle consulted with Muncie, Anderson and New Castle in an effort to win funds to revitalize hard-hit former automotive manufacturing communities.