Crawfordsville progressing toward $2 million grant as part of Stellar project

The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs committed the $2 million to Crawfordsville since the city was awarded the Stellar Communities designation, however, there are necessary steps, including submitting an application, the city must take in order to secure the award money.

“There are several things we had to do in order to submit the application,” grant administrator Amy Miller said, “such as purchasing property and environmental reviews. All of those are done except for the property, so we’re waiting on that. Once that’s happened, we’ll hold our second hearing and then submit the application.”

Mayor Todd Barton said the $2 million, once it’s received, will cover approximately half of Fusion 54’s project costs. The other half will come from local matching and private contributions. Barton said negotiations with the property owner will begin soon.

Miller said there should not be any problems with the application process; it’s just paperwork that must be submitted for logistical reasons.

The first hearing took place during Wednesday’s Board of Public Works and Safety meeting and gave community members a chance to ask questions or voice concerns about the grant process. The second and final hearing will be scheduled for some time in July.