LaFONTAINE — Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a thriving downtown. However, community members in LaFontaine are chipping away at restoring their town center.

During the past few months, community leadership has adopted a similar game plan as other area towns to help bolster their downtown economy.

The first step was creating a downtown identity. In recent months, LaFontaine Community Alliance was created. A logo, featuring a golden sun rising above bright green fields, was developed. The organization also raised funds through numerous events during 2024.

There are now regularly scheduled meetings in the LaFontaine Town Hall on Branson Street. On the agenda of this year’s first meeting were numerous items, from applying for a Main Street Indiana status to beautification plans for the downtown area.

The latter includes installing benches and flower pots along Branson Street to create more curb appeal for visitors to the town of 875, according to Maria Smyth, board member of the LaFontaine Community Alliance.

Gaining a Main Street Indiana status, while a long-range goal, is still one that is crucial for the organization and the community as a whole. The LaFontaine Community Alliance is seeking to mirror the likes of other Wabash County downtown organizations which are thriving such as Downtown Wabash, Manchester Alive, Lagro Canal Foundation and Roann Heritage Group.

Main Street organizations focus on promoting local businesses, small business support, community celebrations, and other quality of life and place initiatives. Main Street encourages community-driven revitalization of downtown areas in Indiana cities and towns. The people who make up the Main Street network are advocates, volunteers, stakeholders, and community organizers who seek to reinvigorate their communities by catalyzing reinvestment, creating jobs, and fostering pride of place.

“In order to create a successful Main Street organization, local communities must come together with a strong core group representing the private sector, community members, the local unit of government, and other stakeholders all working together for the betterment of their community,” said Imagine One 85 Director Alex Downard.

Imagine One 85 initiative is a partnership with the Community Foundation of Wabash County and local elected officials representing all of Wabash County. The Imagine One 85 plan is the first of its kind in the community, being a county-wide strategic plan focused on arresting and reversing decades of population decline in Wabash County. The population dropped from 35,903 to 30,976 as of 2020, according to the United States Census Bureau.

Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs has already reached out to the LaFontaine organization to aid in their application process to become a Main Street member. In attendance at a recent meeting were Office of Community and Rural Affairs liaisons who said organization, promotion, design and economic vitality are four areas of focus OCRA assists Main Street members.

Both North Manchester and Lagro have been recent beneficiaries of OCRA assistance, as each were awarded $40,000 in grants from the stae. The towns were among seven Indiana communities receiving $375,320 in planning grants from OCRA through its Community Development Block Grant program. The communities will use the funds to develop plans for the implementation of community and economic development projects.

“Local leadership is critical to moving rural communities forward. It has been exciting to see the energy and passion from a core group of leaders in LaFontaine who are leaning in to create a vibrant downtown through a variety of initiatives,” added Downard. “The Main Street designation from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs will increase the organization’s capacity and their ability to create an even greater impact for the future of the community.”
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