OCRA Grants Awarded

Bedford is one of five award recipients. (photo courtesy City of Bedford)

Indiana Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch helped celebrate Downtown Development Week by awarding five communities this week with Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs grants. Downtown Development Week takes place Oct. 7-12 and will honor commitments to preserving and investing in downtowns and city centers. 

“Having our communities take the celebrations to the Next Level through these grants really enables them to come up with creative, unique ways to showcase their downtowns,” Crouch said. “I look forward to visiting these towns in October.”

Five projects were picked from 16 applications.

• City of Bedford, $1,000. Bedford Revitalization, Inc. has planned a week-long celebration on the Downtown Square to celebrate the heart of Bedford and highlight the completion of the Stellar Communities projects which began in 2014. The events feature city and county government, local merchants and the County Museum.
• Town of Edinburgh, $1,000. The Town of Edinburgh will celebrate the week with six days of specials and events that provide a positive impact to the downtown business district, celebrate the local harvest season and bring families together downtown for fun activities unique to Edinburgh.
• City of Jeffersonville, $1,000. The Great Downtown Jeffersonville Scavenger Hunt Adventure is a one-day event during Downtown Development Week that Jeffersonville Main Street is organizing to celebrate the ongoing downtown revitalization. 
• Town of Knightstown $1,000. Knightstown Main Street will hold an all-day event to celebrate the new businesses on the town square. 
• City of Monticello, $550. The Streets of Monticello Association will celebrate the "We Love Our Downtown" event on October 8, 2019 to recognize and celebrate downtown businesses and gathering spaces.