The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced Thursday that applications will open this fall for the next round of the Stellar Pathways program, bringing back the state’s community development initiative after its last round of designations in 2024.
The announcement was made at Fusion 54 in Crawfordsville, one of the projects completed through the city’s Stellar designation.
Executive Director Fred Glynn said the program has transformed communities across Indiana since it launched in 2011.
“While visiting our many towns and cities last year, I’ve seen firsthand how special our Indiana communities are and how OCRA’s Stellar Pathways program has truly transformed so many rural communities,” Glynn said. “For this reason, it’s with great excitement that I announce that we will be opening up the next round of the Stellar program.”
The Stellar Pathways program is a multi-agency initiative led by OCRA that combines funding and technical assistance for community and economic development projects. Partner agencies include the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana Department of Health, Indiana Arts Commission and Indiana Destination Development Corporation.
A major change this year allows communities to apply individually rather than requiring a regional application with neighboring communities.
“This will help remove potential barriers and open the door for more communities to be able to apply and earn the Stellar designation,” Glynn said.
More than $14 million will be available through participating state agencies during this round. Each designated community could receive more than $7.5 million in funding. Glynn said the program’s impact often extends beyond grant dollars by attracting additional private investment after projects are completed.
“We are pleased to make this announcement here in the city of Crawfordsville, one of our designated Stellar communities,” Glynn said. “The city earned the Stellar designation in 2015, and the program has been transformational to the community and truly showcases the possibilities of Stellar.”
Glynn said Crawfordsville was chosen to host the announcement because it has become one of the most successful Stellar communities.
Since the program began in 2011, 17 communities have received the Stellar designation.
Mayor Todd Barton said Crawfordsville’s designation marked a turning point for the community.
“Our community has changed dramatically over the last decade, and Stellar was truly a catalyst for much of that change,” Barton said.
Crawfordsville applied for the program in 2012, 2013 and 2014 before being selected in 2015. Barton encouraged communities that are not chosen initially to continue refining their plans.
“Through that process, we learned to continue sharpening our focus and continued revising our plan,” Barton said. “Falling short three consecutive times is tough and painful, but it made us so much better in the end. We learned to come together as a community, we learned how to create a common vision, and we learned how to successfully execute projects that turned that vision into reality.”
Barton said the momentum created by the designation continued well beyond the original projects. He pointed to developments including the Brickyard Nature Trail, the redevelopment of the former Culver Union Hospital into senior housing and the renovation of the Ben Hur building as projects made possible by the community’s continued growth following Stellar.
He also said Crawfordsville and Montgomery County have announced more than $1 billion in economic development commitments since receiving the designation, leading to approximately 1,000 new jobs and more than 900 housing units planned over the next several years.
Barton said Crawfordsville completed all of the projects included in its original Stellar application and added another before the program concluded.
Glynn said Crawfordsville is eligible to apply again though Barton said the city has not decided whether it will pursue another designation.
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith said programs such as Stellar help preserve the character of Indiana’s rural communities while supporting future growth.
“It’s really exciting to see what Stellar can do to bring regions together to grow,” Beckwith said. “There’s nothing better than going to small towns that are vibrant and that are exciting and have a lot of character.”
Glynn encouraged prospective applicants to develop a comprehensive vision for their communities before applying.
“Just have your vision, show us your vision,” Glynn said. “Make sure your vision covers every agency that’s going to be coming in here. Not just what OCRA does, but what DNR does. Have a full vision for your community.”
Communities interested in applying must attend a Stellar Pathways workshop this fall before submitting a letter of interest. Workshops will be announced on OCRA’s website. Eligible applicants may apply individually or as a self-determined region with other local governments. Communities must be in good standing with the state and cannot be participating in existing large-scale capacity-building programs or be U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development entitlement communities.
Interested applicants can visit ocra.in.gov/stellar for program details. For additional questions, please email stellarcommunities@ocra.in.gov.
