EVANSVILLE − A workforce housing project, a dog park, more nursing school seats and a study of future possibilities for Evansville's riverfront are among the recipients of more than $6 million in state grant funding.
The Southwest Indiana Regional Development Authority on Wednesday announced six new initiatives that will receive Regional Economic + Acceleration Development Initiative (READI) funds.
The $6 million comes from a total award of $50 million in READI grant dollars Southwest Indiana obtained a year ago.
Some earlier recipients of READI grant dollars were announced by the Southwest Indiana Regional Development Authority in August. Those included an indoor sports complex for Warrick County, Princeton's YMCA project and a revamped branding initiative for the region.
The newly announced winners of READI grants are:
Karges Lofts workforce housing, Evansville, $3.745 million
These 150 apartments are planned for a former furniture warehouse on West Maryland Street in Evansville, and the developer is AP Development LLC, which refurbished a section of Evansville's old Downtown YMCA into similar housing.
The Karges property has been empty since 2014. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and officials noted its proximity to employers such as Berry Global, Deaconess Health System and Heritage Petroleum.
Regional Riverfront Planning & Activation, $1 million
This $1 million is for "a comprehensive riverfront strategy centered on Downtown Evansville, while also considering our other downtown riverfronts in Mount Vernon and Newburgh, as well as the unprecedented Ohio River Bridge Crossing," according to the Southwest Indiana Regional Development Authority.
The effort is to incorporate work from a landscape architect, urban designer, civil engineer, and transportation expert, officials said.
City leaders in Evansville have spoken of a desire to reimagine the riverfront; one idea that's been floated is a new mixed-use development between the headquarters of Old National Bank and CenterPoint Energy.
USI nursing expansion, $735,000
Health care officials in the region have cited a constant demand for nurses, and over three years, the University of Southern Indiana is expanding its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program by up to 60 students annually for a total of 180, along with expansion in other health professions programs.
The Evansville metro area alone has more than 450 openings for registered nurses, according to the Southwest Indiana Regional Development Authority.
More:Evansville and Henderson need more nurses, but first nursing schools need more seats
The Landing, Princeton, $245,000
This housing development on Princeton's downtown square will bring 12 new units.
Woodmere Dog Park, Evansville, $165,000
This project encompasses the development of a dog park facility within Woodmere Park, located on the East Side adjacent to the State Hospital Grounds.
The planned dog park is 3 acres with the goal of providing a safe and convivial opportunity for a free-range activity for dogs and their owners.
An timeframe for its construction and opening hasn't been announced.
Underpass lighting, Evansville and elsewhere, $125,000
This will bring programmable LED lighting technology to Southwest Indiana, beginning with a series of four underpass installations beneath the Lloyd Expressway at Fulton Avenue, First Avenue, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Main Street.
The Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (E-REP) on behalf of the Regional Development Authority will work with the awarded projects on next steps while continuing to review additional projects for READI eligibility.