ST. LEON – Dearborn and Franklin counties have spent the past year developing a plan for a portion of the Ind. 1 corridor immediately north and south of the Interstate 74 interchange. They have announced that a draft of the State Road 1 Corridor Plan is available for community review on the project website: www.sr1corridorplan.com.
Funded through the larger SEI READI regional economic development initiative, the State Road 1 Corridor Plan is intended to help local leaders in Dearborn County, Franklin County, and the Town of St. Leon, make decisions regarding potential development near the interchange and surrounding area north and south along Ind. 1. Rather than a sequential series of actions and projects, the plan uses a potential future land use framework to anticipate transportation and utility improvements that would be needed to serve potential new development. Plan recommendations also describe possible land use mixes, development intensities, and desired character should changes in ownership and subsequent development interest occur. The study anticipates that many of the existing businesses and land uses will continue for some time, and that changes to private property will be voluntary and larger development will be market driven.
Ultimately, the plan should be looked at as a strategic set of options to capture new investment, grow the local economy, improve infrastructure systems, and enhance quality of life, all while preserving the established character that makes the area so desirable. Without a plan in place, existing zoning of some properties may allow for development that does not align with the corridor vision or interests of surrounding residents. Information in the plan will also be used to identify potential projects for consideration as part of the second round of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation READI program.
Interested citizens are encouraged to review the draft plan on the project website and use the contact form to provide feedback to the planning team. Comments are encouraged by Friday, Dec. 15, 2023.
For more information about this project, contact Mike Perleberg, Executive Director of One Dearborn, Inc., at mperleberg@1dearborn.org or 812-537-4010 x7233 or John Palmer, President of the Franklin County Economic Development Commission, at jpalmerfcedc@gmail.com or 765-647-5340.