The southern Indiana city of Charlestown and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority have launched a crowdfunding campaign to create a parklet in the City Square.
The goal is to raise $50,000 by Jan. 25 through the authority’s CreatINg Places program.
“Many Hoosiers are facing a loneliness epidemic. Creating welcoming public spaces where individuals of all ages can gather is crucial to a community’s health and quality of life,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch. “This project illustrates how small spaces can have tremendous impact and become a point of pride for the community.”
Nonprofit organizations and local units of government are eligible to apply to the CreatINg Places program for funding. Eligible projects must have a minimum development cost of $10,000, and the IHCDA will provide matching grant funds up to $50,000 per project if they reach their crowdfunding goal.
In Charlestown, a city about 15 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky, the funds raised would be used to create a parklet along Short Street. The project would feature seating and architectural designs that would further enhance the City Square as a community attraction.
“We’re excited to kickstart this fundraising opportunity to help us build a beautiful addition to our city square,” Charlestown Mayor Treva Hodges said in a news release. “Jennings Plaza is a place where we keep our small-town vibe alive through a variety of community events and adding this parklet will help us be more creative in how we engage with residents and visitors.”
The city has raised $10,000 for the parklet project to date.
The CreatINg Places program has raised more than $11.8 million in public funds and $10.1 million in matching IHCDA funds since the initiative began in 2016. Recent crowdfunding efforts include more than $50,000 raised for a playground in Ladoga, more than $45,000 raised for an artists space in Valparaiso and more than $28,000 raised for a skate park in Corydon, according to Patronicity.com, a crowdfunding platform that is a partner in the state program.