SOUTHEASTERN IN — Southeast Indiana has a new roadmap to guide growth and prosperity with the creation of its first regional development plan.
The SEI READI Regional Development Plan can be viewed here. It focuses on the Southeast Indiana region, defined as Dearborn, Franklin, Ohio, Ripley, Switzerland, and Union counties.
The plan has been presented to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation as the final deliverable for entry into the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative, or READI. This $500 million IEDC READI program includes seed funding for projects which can collectively transform the region. Each Indiana region is eligible for up to $50 million.
Developed by Thomas P. Miller & Associates and with guidance from the SEI READI Steering Committee of local economic development organizations and Southeast Indiana Regional Planning Commission, the plan received wide stakeholder input of businesses, institutions, local government leaders, and citizens from across the six counties.
The plan includes:
- a defined regional vision
- specific regional goals
- strategies to accomplish the regional goals
- justification for the region’s identification
- a snapshot of the current state of the region
- an overview of communities
- stakeholders and execution summary
- community engagement summary
- success metrics
- and structural changes.
The regional strategies in the plan include the following:
- Built Assets
- Natural Assets
- Arts, Culture & Community
- Wellness Through Recreation
- Safety & Social Services
- Healthcare
- Housing
- Water & Sewer
- Broadband
- Entrepreneurship & Innovation
- Hospitality & Tourism
- Childcare & Early Education
- K-12 Paths to Success
- Adult Education & Upskilling
- Comprehensive Regional Marketing
For a list of organizations endorsing the SEI READI Regional Development Plan, visit www.southeastindiana.org/signatories/.
(SEI READI press release)
