(Rushville, IN) — On October 1st, Accelerate Rural Indiana (ARI) hosted its State of the Region event at the Love Community Center in Rushville, bringing together state and local officials and project partners to celebrate the region’s five-year anniversary and the successful implementation of its $20 million READI 1.0 and $30 million READI 2.0 awards.
ARI announced that 100 percent of its READI 1.0 award has now been disbursed to projects, ahead of the state’s year-end 2026 deadline.
ARI was the first region in the state to reach the 65 percent disbursement mark, a benchmark the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) later adopted as an interim requirement for all regions, and it was among the first to reach 100 percent.
The region’s forecasted READI 1.0 outcomes include more than $408 million in private investment and more than $34 million in local matches, for more than $485 million in total investment.
The projects are also expected to deliver more than 270 jobs, 260 childcare seats, 600 housing units (300 multi-family and 300 single-family), and 170,000 annual visitors. Actual outcome data will be collected and reported in March 2027.
In his State of the Region address, Regional Development Authority Board Chair Bryan Robbins attributed that success to the readiness of every project and the quality of work happening across the region.
He noted that the results of the past five years confirm the decision to work together was the right one.
“The public investment isn’t the final destination, only a catalyst,” Robbins said.
Building on that momentum, ARI was awarded $30 million in READI 2.0 funding, the largest per capita READI 2.0 award in the state.
The award is a $10 million increase over ARI’s READI 1.0 award and the second-largest regional increase in Indiana.
All READI 2.0 projects have now been formally approved by the IEDC, and the region is already nearing 65 percent disbursement of its 2.0 funds, well ahead of every other region in the state and the 2028 deadline.
Forecasted READI 2.0 outcomes for ARI include more than $1.25 billion in private investment and more than $58 million in local matches, for more than $1.39 billion in total investment. The region also anticipates more than 400 jobs, 6,000 acres of development potential, 860 housing units (450 multi-family and 410 single-family), and 2,000 added residents.
During the event, ARI presented ceremonial READI 2.0 funding checks to its four communities, representing 22 projects: Rushville and Rush County (six projects, $4.9 million); Greensburg and Decatur County (six projects, $9.1 million); Shelbyville and Shelby County (six projects, $8.4 million); and Batesville (four projects, $5.95 million).
Funded projects include more than 1,000 acres of development potential along Tom Hession Drive in Shelby County; 20 acres of development-ready land along Industrial Park Road in Batesville; new housing in each community; expanded childcare capacity, including a 200-seat center at the Greensburg Learning Center, and new community assets such as the CommunityLink Nonprofit Center in Shelbyville, the Rushville Launch Center, and a maker space and innovation hub at the Batesville library.
READI 2.0 also brought additional IEDC funding supported by the Lilly Endowment, totaling $8.6 million to support blight remediation and arts and culture projects for ARI. This includes $3.2 million for the Rural Schools Reimagined bundle, which will revitalize seven historic school buildings and sites across the region. A panel of Rural Schools Reimagined project leaders shared their redevelopment visions with attendees.
The program also featured a keynote address on the Love Community Center and its regional impact by Rush County Community Foundation Executive Director Chris May and Love Community Center Executive Director Zuzana Smith. The Love Community Center in Rushville, which received $4 million in READI 1.0 funding and the host of the State of the Region event, now houses the Rushville Public Library, an early learning facility, a senior center, a recreation center with a pool, a food pantry, and social service offices.
Greensburg Mayor Joshua Marsh presented the inaugural Spirit of Regionalism Award to Decatur County Community Foundation Executive Director Tami Wenning (pictured). Before the formalization of the RDA, Wenning served as the region’s fiscal agent for READI 1.0 funds and was integral to the region’s stability as a strong fiscal development partner.
ARI recognized the READI Steering Committee and the ARI RDA Board. The Accelerate Rural Indiana Region held its first informal meeting in June 2021. The Regional Development Authority was formed in 2023 pursuant to Indiana Code 36-7.6, which allows two or more adjacent counties to form an RDA to develop and fund regionally significant projects.
The RDA is governed by a Development Board of five representatives from the ARI region (Bryan Robbins, Virgil Bremer, Bruce Everhart, Andy Saner, and David Toll).
Looking ahead, the RDA’s goal is to move beyond READI, evolving from a READI Development Authority into a Regional Development Authority that continues to serve its regional stakeholders.
(Accelerate Rural Indiana press release)
