Grants to Support Quality of Place Initiatives
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowSeveral communities throughout the state have been awarded funding for efforts designed to improve quality of place. The matching grants from the Place Based Investment Fund will be used for public venue projects. March 26, 2014
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann announced today that The Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) and the Indiana Office of Tourism Development (IOTD) have awarded six Indiana communities funding for quality of place initiatives under the Place Based Investment Fund (PBIF).
City of Hobart
City of Jasper
City of Madison
Parke County
Town of Hope
Wabash Marketplace
Each community will receive grant funds ranging from $35,000 to $50,000 to fund parks, public venues and other quality of place projects.
“Community gathering places are vital centers of activity for Hoosier cities and towns,” said Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann. “Our team looks forward to seeing these innovative projects completed and the long-term benefits they provide to the winning communities.”
“The Place Based Investment Fund is one of the primary ways OCRA fulfills its mission of improving quality of place in Indiana's rural communities,” said Bill Davis, Executive Director at OCRA. “The parks and community gathering facilities developed through this fund will serve and benefit local citizens for years to come.”
“We are excited about the new venues and gathering places that will soon be built because of the PBIF grant,” said Mark Newman, IOTD executive director. “This fund was designed to reward creativity and community ingenuity and the winning projects will be great examples of those qualities.”
The PBIF program, now in its second year, is a $300,000 competitive matching grant program administered as a partnership between OCRA and IOTD. The grant program supports community and economic development projects across the state. Initiatives that promote quality of life, improve tourism experiences and develop multi-purpose gathering places are specifically targeted for the grant. For more information on PBIF, including detailed information on each community proposal, visit in.gov/ocra/2691.htm.
Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann oversees the Indiana Office of Tourism Development and the Office of Community and Rural Affairs. Mark Newman serves as IOTD's executive director. IOTD is dedicated to enhancing the economic vitality of Indiana through leadership and resource support to the Indiana travel industry for awareness-building, product development and job creation.
The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) mission is to promote community prosperity to strengthen Indiana’s economy by providing capacity-building solutions to assure ready, marketable, and competitive communities for economic growth. For additional information on OCRA and its programs visit www.in.gov/ocra.
Source: The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs