There is much momentum occurring in both the city and the county, according to local officials.
Montgomery County Commissioner Dan Guard and Montgomery County Councilman David Hunt joined Crawfordsville Mayor Todd Barton and Crawfordsville City Councilman Stan Hamilton on Friday for a city-county legislative event.
The lunch-time discussion at Fusion 54 was organized by the Crawfordsville-Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce.
Guard was pleased to announce the county secured a $16 million state grant earlier this week that will be used to build an overpass at U.S. 136 and Nucor Road. The $21 million project will take two years to complete. The county has already spent $1 million toward securing the funds and will add another $5 million.
Other planned road projects include the use of Community Crossing grant funds to pave 7.9 miles of county roads this year.
Hunt touched on the state of the county highway department, saying that an additional $2 million is needed to maintain the county’s current road system. He added the department is underfunded, but that the council is looking for ways to resolve the issue.
Beyond the roads, the community will soon see renovations taking place at the county courthouse. Exterior upgrades to the historic building will cost about $4 million and interior work is expected to cost $900,000. Funding for the project will come from two sources. The county will spend approximately $1.5 million of American Recovery Plan Act funds and obtain a bond for the balance.
Hunt said taxpayers should not be alarmed. The county will pay off an $8.2 million jail bond this summer which allows the county to borrow funds for the courthouse project.
Guard also touched on the county’s recently signed agreement with Thrive West Central and the city to address housing issues in the community.
Groundbreaking for the Early Learning Center at the former county office building at 110 W. South Blvd. is expected to take place April 15. Construction is estimated at 10-12 months. Upon completion, the new center will provide care for 124 children from infant to age 5. The project is meant to help solve the childcare desert the community finds itself in.
Barton shared that the city’s recent successes have been the result of years of hard work.
His administration has focused on the core areas of quality of place and quality of life; infrastructure; housing; and retail growth.
On the job growth side, he reports there are 150-250 full-time job openings in Crawfordsville in any given month, and 1,000 new jobs will be coming to the area in the next few years. With that, city and county officials as well as workforce leaders meet regularly to discuss the challenges and seek solutions. For instance, he said, the Early Learning Center is one of the projects to come from those meetings.
Barton is calling for modest population growth to help meet the needs of local employers.
Elected officials are continuing to work closely with the school districts and vocational programs to bolster the incoming workforce. They are focused on the creation of a career academy that will share space at the local Ivy Tech campus.
The biggest challenge now, Barton said, is finding land for future growth. The commerce park is full.
Housing is another challenge. The Arbor Homes project on the city’s south side is moving forward and the public can expect to see dirt move later this summer. Barton said the addition of market rate apartments on the south side as well as the conversion of the Ben Hur building from a planned hotel to apartments will eventually help the situation.
Providing a quality place to live continues to rate high in Barton’s plans. Previously, the city invested in Pike Place, Kathy Steel Park, Frances Wooden Park, the trail system, and a dog park. Currently the city is renovating Lincoln Park and creating the Brickyard Nature Preserve. Another park, the Shortz Nature Preserve, is also on the horizon.
Barton said the city is continuing behind-the-scenes talk with new retailers and expects announcements in the next few months.
City officials continue to invest in infrastructure, including projects like the Purple Heart Parkway extension, which is a shared project with the county, the Schenck Road project, sewer line extensions and Traction Road improvements.
An application for federal funds to study the Market Street railroad crossing will be submitted in May. The city has spent the past 14 months collecting data at the intersection to better build its case.
The mayor also shared that the council will soon be deciding on a sewer rate increase and on Monday will have its first reading on an ordinance that raises the salaries of public service employees.
Hamilton praised the mayor for doing a tremendous job. He added that in his six years on the council, he has learned how complex and involved the mayor and the council must be in leading the city.
