Six finalists picked for 2013 Stellar Communities program

News that the city is a finalist made Angola Mayor Dick Hickman giddy.

“I am excited that the work is beginning. We have to show we have the plans in order and that there’s no roadblocks,” Hickman said.

The two winners will receive state grants designed to fund comprehensive community development projects in Indiana’s smaller communities. The grants could range between $12 million-$15 million and could include tax breaks.

Hickman said on Thursday morning, representatives from the program’s administrators — the Indiana Department of Transportation, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs will inform the city on how to proceed.

“They will release information on what they want from us. They want to see what we’re doing,” he said. “Another thing they will do is guide us along. We haven’t won anything yet, but it’s exciting to have the opportunity.”

Other finalists are Bedford, Frankfort, Petersburg, Richmond and Wabash. The six finalists now will participate in workshops and planning sessions to further fine-tune their applications.

In May, each of the six finalists will receive a site visit before the two Stellar Communities awards are made early this summer.

In February, members of the non-profit community gathered at City Hall to learn what the designation could mean to the city, as well as with their respective organizations.

Vivian Likes, Angola plan director, said the Stellar Community program’s purpose is to provide resources to stimulate the local economy and sustainability.

Some potential Angola projects the city could tackle with the Stellar designation included housing, continuing the city’s streetscape, movie theaters, a county parking garage, improved downtown business facades, additional rain garden development and energy efficiency in downtown businesses.