(Indianapolis, IN) – A local project is receiving a half-million dollars in federal funds for the completion of needed improvements.
Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs on Wednesday said 13 rural Indiana communities will receive more than $8 million in federal grant funding to create and expand community facilities, remove blight and improve water infrastructure.
Locally, the Decatur County Family YMCA (pictured) has been awarded $500,000 from the Public Facilities Program for the completion of necessary building improvements to the facility. The project includes roof replacement over the original 39,000-square-foot YMCA building in Greensburg.
State officials say the project will benefit the community by stabilizing the structure so that continued public health and social services can be provided, improving the quality of life for Decatur County residents.
The Public Facilities Program creates and expands community facilities that enhance the lives of residents. Eligible projects include fire stations, community facilities, libraries, museums, community centers, and performance spaces that open doors to knowledge and ideas, culture, and enjoyment.
Also in Southeastern Indiana, the Town of Vevay was awarded $459,410 from the Public Facilities Program for the exterior rehabilitation of the Vevay Historic Hoosier Theater.
“Rural Indiana is the next great economic frontier,” said Lt. Gov. Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “But to achieve that success, we can’t ignore the needed maintenance of basic, but vital, aspects of community infrastructure. This grant money will enable these 13 Hoosier communities to find economic growth while improving health and safety across the state.”
The State of Indiana distributes Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to rural communities, which assist units of local government with various community projects such as infrastructure improvement, downtown revitalization, public facilities and economic development.
“Community Development Block Grant projects can be transformational for communities,” said OCRA Executive Director Duke Bennett. “I applaud the leaders from each of these 13 communities for taking advantage of the opportunity to further improve their cities, towns and counties.”
Funding for OCRA’s CDBG programs originates from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program and is administered for the State of Indiana by OCRA.
For more information, visit in.gov/ocra/cdbg.
