Forging Ahead
In 2023, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) announced a second round of the READI initiative. READI 2.0 will distribute $500 million to regions across Indiana to fund impactful, game-changing projects. To guide East Central Indiana through the READI 2.0 process, ECIRP recruited the help of HWC Engineering, a firm with prior experience and success with READI 1.0. Throughout the planning process, the HWC team gathered information, engaged members of the public, formed strategies, and developed an updated plan for the region. By building upon previous efforts and encouraging regional collaboration, the project team hopes to pave the way for future growth and prosperity in East Central Indiana.
Planning Process
Steering Committee
A Steering Committee was organized and charged with guiding the development of the plan. The Steering Committee is the core work group that, in conjunction with the ECIRP and its consultant HWC Engineering, will complete the bulk of the work to create a strong plan based on feedback and data collected throughout the process. Members consist of two representatives from each county that makes up the ECI READI region of Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Grant, Henry, Jay, Randolph, and Wayne counties. Steering Committee members serve as community liaisons, connecting the project team to community leaders, employers, and other important stakeholders. The Steering Committee also provides feedback, reviews draft documents, and promotes the regional development plan.
County Workshops
To gather feedback for the regional development plan, the project team facilitated workshops in all eight of the region’s counties. Key stakeholders were invited to attend these meetings to envision the future of their county, identify barriers preventing them from achieving their vision and aspirations, and outline actions that could be taken to overcome these barriers. Across the region, there were 212 participants in the county workshops.
Regional Workshops
During the two regional workshops in August and October 2023, the project team reviewed findings from the county workshops then worked towards building consensus on regional priorities
Regional Development Plan
This plan replaces the original READI 1.0 Regional Development Plan as the new, guiding document for East Central Indiana. This update builds off the previous plan by addressing unmet goals and objectives. At the same time, the updated plan intentionally focuses on community engagement, consensus building, and collaboration. The purpose of this plan is to unite the region around a vision and investment strategy that will benefit individual counties, but most importantly, allow East Central Indiana to forge a path towards regional prosperity.
Allocation
In April 2024, East Central was awarded $35 million in READI 2.0 funding. The allocation represents a remarkable $20 million (133%) increase in support compared to READI 1.0.
Project Selection
Forge ECI is in the process of seeking final approval on projects from the IEDC.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel reach out to Caitlin Hancock at chancock@forgeeci.com.
Contact Us
For more information on East Central Indiana’s READI program, please reach out to Caitlin Hancock at chancock@forgeeci.com.
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