Dubois County will partner with Huntingburg in the city’s bid to earn a Stellar Communities distinction from the state.
The county council agreed Monday to give Huntingburg $500,000 for various revitalization projects if the city is designated a Stellar Community. The program is a collaboration between theIndiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority and the Indiana Department of Transportation to pool major funding sources to help communities achieve long-term comprehensive strategic goals.
Huntingburg would receive about $10 million from the state over four years if it is named a Stellar Community. The city is one of six finalists for the honor, along with Decatur, Marion, Mount Vernon, Nashville and Wabash. Only two will earn the distinction.
Huntingburg is preparing its final application, which is due June 6. State officials will tour the city July 9. The winners will be named in August.
The distinction would fast-track several proposed projects, including a maintenance and shelter building on the city’s west side, a walking trail that will loop around and through the city, murals to serve as a community gateway, improvements along Ninth and 14th streets to allow for better traffic flow, a downtown park, a waterline update along Fourth Street and affordable family housing near the Huntingburg Event Center.
“We’re being scored on not only the impact on Huntingburg but how these projects will have a regional impact,” Huntingburg Mayor Denny Spinner said.
The estimated cost of these projects is more than $30 million, which would come from a mix of public and private funding. Spinner said the city has received financial commitments from many of Huntingburg’s corporate entities, including OFS Brands, Touch of Class, Old National Bank, German American, Freedom Bank, Steinkamp Home Center and Uebelhor Developments.
If Huntingburg does not receive the designation, Spinner said the city will still move forward with its revitalization plans. Many of the projects are already in the city’s comprehensive plan.
“There may be projects that leap to the front right away that we’re ready to go ahead with,” he said. “There may be projects on here that may fall off the table at some point.”
Ed Curtain, a Columbus-based consultant who is helping Huntingburg navigate through the application process, said county support would improve the city’s chances of gaining the designation.
“Showing that you’re willing to put money on the table,” Curtain said, “can make a huge difference in how the state views the application.”
Last year, Curtain helped Bedford earn the designation. A $500,000 commitment from Lawrence County helped the community in the selection process, he said.
Huntingburg will commit $500,000 of its own money to the projects.
“We’re putting our money where our mouth is with this one,” Spinner said, “because this is an opportunity that we cannot let pass by for Dubois County.”
If Huntingburg receives the designation, the county will contribute $500,000 over the next four years to the city’s improvement projects. The money will come from the county’s EDIT fund, an $11 million reserve used for economic development.
“This is truly an economic development project,” council member Mark Brescher said. “We’re going to see a benefit from this project.”
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