Elkhart, St. Joseph and Marshall counties join forces for Regional Cities Initiative

A delegation of Indiana Economic Development Corp. representatives will travel around Elkhart, St. Joseph and Marshall counties as part of its review of the three-county proposal for a piece of $84 million in Indiana Regional Cities Initiative money. The initiative, created by Indiana lawmakers earlier this year, aims to promote growth by encouraging regional collaboration and development, and just two Indiana regions will ultimately share in the money.

A plan is being crafted locally and “they are now coming to conduct a site visit,” said Pete McCown, president of the Elkhart County Community Foundation and a member of the board of Regional Cities of Northern Indiana, the group that put together the local proposal.

The three-county plan has a range of elements, including converting an old Studebaker factory in South Bend to a small business incubator and expanding the St. Joe Valley Metronet, the South Bend-based fiber optic network, McCown said Monday. He didn’t provide details, but said Elkhart County elements encompass the old Goshen Theater and Hawks building in Goshen, and Elkhart’s RiverWalk and the former Elkhart Youth and Community Center, which closed March 31.

“The concept is to get St. Joseph, Elkhart and Marshall counties thinking together about their identity,” McCown said.