City officials are hoping third time’s a charm.
Shelbyville will apply again for potentially millions of dollars in grant funding from the Indiana Stellar Communities Program to rejuvenate Public Square.
Mayor Tom DeBaun told members of the Common Council on Monday evening that, after applications for the Stellar grant program in 2010 and 2012 came up short, the city has been working on a new effort.
Ken Remenschneider, the city’s consultant on the downtown revitalization project, will pitch a new Stellar grant application to the state, DeBaun said.
Launched in 2010, the Indiana Stellar Communities Program has awarded grants to two communities each year, in total more than $58 million according to the Stellar Indiana website – www.stellarindiana.org.
At the city council meeting, Remenschneider made a presentation that detailed plans to revitalize Shelbyville’s Public Square.
The plan calls for rerouting Harrison Street so it runs both ways around the Square on the east side which is nearest the old DePrez hardware store, now 18 On the Square.
That portion of the Square to the west of the rerouted Harrison Street, nearest to the Methodist Building, 23 Public Square, would become a greenspace for outdoor events, art exhibits and community gatherings.
DeBaun hopes to build an underground parking garage in that west portion of the Square; that’s what recent drilling on the Square was about.
Remenschneider also talked about bringing “market-rate housing” to the Methodist Building, and to the Knights of Pitheas building, 31-35 Public Square, next to the license branch.
Purple Vetch Properties LLC of California has been working on developing the Methodist Building; SANTÉ Realty Investments of Arizona plans to develop the Knights of Pitheas property.
Attracting and retaining a skilled, educated work force that will spur business growth is the purpose of the quality of life improvements, said DeBaun.
“Not because it’s trendy ... but because it’s necessary,” he told the council meeting.
Other highlights of the downtown plan Remenschneider discussed include:
• Using the soon-to-be-vacant Major Hospital, 150 W. Washington St., for a new multigenerational center related to Shelby Senior Services rather than the old Marsh as had been discussed previously;
• Including the former Tippecanoe Press building, 223 S. Harrison St., next door to the Strand Theatre, as part of the downtown redevelopment. The Strand brings many out-of-town people to the city who would not come here otherwise, DeBaun said.
Remenschneider said the city should know in April if Shelbyville made it through the first round of the Stellar grant application.