Columbus Standard

For more information, please contact

John Zody, Director, Housing and Neighborhood Development

john.zody@bloomington.in.gov or 812-349-3420

Andrew Krebbs, Communications Director, Office of the Mayor

andrew.krebbs@bloomington.in.gov or 812-349-3406

Bloomington, Ind.–Bloomington will receive $1.8 million in Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI)funding for construction on Jackson Street as part of the new Hopewell neighborhood. This housing investment was approved by the Indiana Uplands READI Steering Committee and the Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) Board of Directors, and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). The Indiana Uplands is an 11-county region encompassing Brown, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Owen, and Washington counties.

The City of Bloomington is redeveloping the 24-acre site now known as Hopewell, formerly the location of IU Health Bloomington Hospital and surrounding properties. READI funding will support the design and construction of a 350-foot portion of Jackson Street as a brand-new corridor for housing in the diverse neighborhood in downtown Bloomington. The vision for Hopewell includes a number of housing designs and density types for all income levels, including increasing owner-occupied and rental workforce housing. Read more about the Hopewell project at hopewellbloomington.org. 

“Buying Hopewell lets us rebuild from the ground up a new neighborhood in our downtown – and this grant accelerates the process,” said Mayor John Hamilton. “We will restore a city-scale grid of streets and sidewalks to support a mix of housing types built for sustainability and affordability. We are delighted to have READI support in realizing this dynamic vision.” 

About the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) in the Indiana Uplands

In May 2021, Indiana Gov. Eric J. Holcomb and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) launched the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI), a transformational initiative with $500 million in state appropriations to promote strategic investments to make Indiana a magnet for talent and economic growth

Seventeen regions, including the Indiana Uplands, developed plans that outline strategies focused on improving the quality of place, quality of life, and quality of opportunity. The Indiana Uplands plan, entitled “A Region on the Rise,” can be accessed on the ROI website at: regionalopportunityinc.org/readi

 

For more information and announcements on Indiana Uplands READI projects, please visit: regionalopportunityinc.org/readi-projects

About the Indiana Uplands

The Indiana Uplands is an 11-county region encompassing Brown, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Owen, and Washington counties. In a region replete with talent and resources, it is home to Naval Support Activity Crane, the third-largest Naval Installation in the world; the number one small Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) for specialized employment in the medical devices and equipment category and 4th for drugs and pharmaceuticals; and an automotive and heavy manufacturing cluster that has grown by more than 93% since 2012. Uplanders—from students to visionaries, artisans to entrepreneurs— call these 11 counties home. Learn more at inuplands.org. 

About Regional Opportunity Initiatives

Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to advance economic and community prosperity in the 11 counties of the Indiana Uplands (Brown, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Owen, and Washington counties). ROI’s is growing potential and possibility in the Uplands through a focus on advanced industry sectors, regionalism, transformative school and workforce redesign, and placemaking strategies. Learn more at regionalopportunityinc.org.

Original source can be found here.