BEDFORD — Community leaders Monday took the first step in applying for a 2013 Stellar Communities Grant.
Bedford was a finalist in 2011, the initial year of the multi-million dollar program that constitutes a partnership between three state agencies: the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, and the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Communities submit multiple community development projects to be funded by the three partner agencies’ programs. The projects can address housing, infrastructure needs, street and roadwork, street-scape and lighting needs, community centers, revitalization projects, and other quality of life issues.
Bedford failed to make the list of finalists in 2012. Forty communities applied for the highly-competitive grants.
Princeton and Delphi were last year’s winners. As a Stellar Community, Princeton is expected to reap approximately $18.6 million in grants over the next three years.
Princeton’s plan included: a gateway enhancement to create attractive points of entry in each corner of the downtown area; a street-scape project featuring new lighting, landscaping and sidewalk repairs; restoration of facades on downtown buildings; and transformation of a defunct downtown theater into a performing-arts center.
Members of the Bedford Redevelopment Commission voted 4-0 to allocate $50,000 from TIF funds to hire a pair of consultants to assist in the application process. Sheryl Sharpe, development manager for Milestone Ventures Inc., will lead the project with assistance from Ed Curtin, a planning consultant from Columbus.
“The request for letters of intent have arrived and it’s really not that much different from the past,” Bedford Mayor Shawna Girgis told the commission. “Gene McCracken, Jamie Medlock, Marla Jones, Hope Flores, Kyle Brown, David Miller and a few others met for three days to discuss our proposal. Marla and I did most of the design work the past two years.
“We noticed other communities don’t do it that way. They hire consultants to prepare their plans for them. David suggested we talk to Milestone. They are working on the housing project involving the old Stalker School.
“Sheryl Sharpe used to work for one of the funders for Stellar, and she also consulted on last year’s Princeton project. We met with her and were impressed. We also were impressed with Ed Curtin, the redevelopment commission president from Columbus. He helped with downtown revitalization efforts there.
“I’m proposing these two work together. They are agreeable with that arrangement.”
Letters of intent are due March 1.
A year ago, community leaders invited citizens to the Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce to make suggestions on how to revitalize the downtown area. A call for walking trails and an enhanced downtown look dominated the workshop.
The session was facilitated by David Goffinet of Bernardin, Lochmueller & Associates.
“Your downtown used to be the heartbeat of your community,” explained Goffinet, who led the city’s effort to rewrite its new comprehensive plan in 2010. “We want to bring people back downtown through a planned, integrated approach.”
Not only are trails and renovation of the old JC Penney building part of the proposal, but a connecting route from GM Drive to Tunnelton Road also is under consideration. The bypass would steer heavy truck traffic away from the downtown hub.
McCracken, executive director of the Lawrence Economic Growth Council, said the enhancement programs are not contingent on receiving the grant.
“We’re very excited about our plan,” he explained. “It is our intent to complete these projects — with or without the Stellar Grant. The only difference is with the Stellar instead of a 15-year project it might be a five-year project.”