Renewed NWI

NWI’s urban and rural centers are places people want to come

to and live in, and our environment is safe and healthy.

The inaugural Great Lakes Main Street Conference was held on August 19 and 20 in South Bend, Indiana. Organized by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), Oakland County Michigan Main Street Program and Downtown South Bend, the conference brought together leaders in downtown and historic commercial district revitalization from all over the Great Lakes region to highlight asset-based strategies to community and economic development. 

The conference explored techniques and practices for downtown revitalization and economic development through community success stories, best practices and innovations The sessions focused on the National Main Street model of sustainability, economic vitality and placemaking. The 2020 Great Lakes Regional Main Street Conference will be held in Downtown Royal Oak, Michigan.

During the conference, OCRA announced the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership and the Heart of Sullivan Main Street organizations as recipients of the INspire Idea competition.

The goal of the competition was to encourage the Indiana Main Street network of communities to present inspiring and imaginative downtown revitalization projects. The selected recipients received a $5,000 grant to help implement the project. The goal of La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership’s project is to improve the quality of downtown infrastructure, while reinforcing community volunteerism and involvement. The project, titled "Paint the Town," will be a series of service projects for community members to revamp and aesthetically improve the downtown area. Volunteers will repaint faded light poles, wash storefront windows, install pet waste stations and repair and paint benches and trash receptacles. New wayfinding signage will also be installed to help direct residents and visitors to downtown attractions, and inform pedestrians of their Main Street community status.  

There are many benefits in becoming an Indiana Main Street Community:

Encourages community-driven revitalization of downtown areas in Indiana cities and towns

Assists with building, maintaining and growing local organizations focused on the development of the traditional heart and hub of community commerce

Once designated – eligible for additional technical assistance and funding 

Contact Gabrielle Biciunas at gbiciunas@nirpc.org or 219-254-2506 for more information. To learn more on becoming a Main Street Community, visit OCRA’s Indiana Main Street Program here.

Interesting News!

The Indiana Land Use Summit was held on August 28 in Danville, Indiana. Organized by the Indiana Land Resources Council (ILRC), Purdue Extension, and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA). The main goal of the Summit was to introduce a new policy handbook named “Community Planning for Agriculture and Natural Resources: A guide for local Government.”

The Summit acquainted attendees with the policy Handbook through informative sessions and knowledgeable panelists. Topics included food and agriculture with sessions on Indiana livestock, farmland preservation, and urban agriculture and aquaculture. Other topics were on quality of place and best practices in agritourism, renewable energy, and rural economic development. To learn about “A Guide for Local Government”, click here.

Pick Your Favorite!

NIRPC has co-managed the Northwest Indiana Brownfield Coalition with the RDA since 2013. The Coalition which includes Gary, Hammond, and East Chicago has received grants totaling $1.4M since that time.

Funds from the Brownfield Assessment Grant funded over 500 real estate transaction screens, 24 Phase I Environmental Assessments (EA), and 6 Phase IIs. Two sites received Clean-Up Planning Services.

Successes include: removing underground storage tanks from a site in East Chicago, leveraging private investment in a new dialysis center; ensuring the environmental safety of the lots in Lost Marsh Estates, now under construction in Hammond. The funds from the Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund Grant will be utilized to clean up contaminated properties for reuse.

As loans are repaid, the fund will provide dollars for future NWI clean-ups. The Revolving Loan Fund Grant loaned funds to the Gary Redevelopment Commission to remove asbestos from the long derelict Ambassador Apartments, allowing for its safe demolition.

This year’s MPO conference was hosted by the Northeastern Indiana Regional Coordinating Council (NIRCC) and was held in Ft. Wayne on September 24-26. The theme for this year’s conference was “Linking Transportation with Community”. 

There were many sessions on multi-modal transportation and the management of these various modes. The highlights of every conference are the various walking tours offered on one afternoon. The overwhelming response of these tours and of the conference itself was the surprising vibrancy of the downtown Ft. Wayne area. 

While navigating the downtown area, one could view huge murals, streetscapes, positive activity and investments that were paying dividends to the community. While walking on Tuesday evening at 8:30 pm, one could see the energetic mood as dozens of residents were out enjoying the park and downtown area. 

More time was needed to fully explore and fully enjoy the Ft. Wayne area. Thank you to our partners at NIRCC for hosting this wonderful event.   

NIRPC Environmental Management and Policy Committee Meeting

Indiana Department of Transportation Title VI & ADA Summit

Funding Opportunity!

NIRPC Land Use Committee Meeting

Natural Gas for Transportation Roundtable

Funding Opportunity!

NIRPC Ped, Pedal, and Paddle Committee Meeting

Diversity and Inclusion Symposium 2019 - Save the Date

Funding Opportunity!

NIRPC Technical Planning Committee Meeting

Funding Opportunity!

NIRPC Commission/Executive Board Meeting

Funding Opportunity!