Dozens of private, non-profit and government leaders from Argos, Bourbon, Bremen, Culver, LaPaz and Plymouth will meet from 9:30 a.m. to noon this Thursday, May 31, to begin developing plans for their future as a region in Marshall County. The meeting, which is part of Indiana’s Stellar Region Designation program, will be run by the Indiana Communities Institute of Ball State University.
Mayors, town managers, business, education, healthcare and other non-profit leaders representing every city and town in Marshall County will attend the meeting to be held in the ballroom at Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth.
Marshall County leaders have been meeting regularly for the past several weeks in preparation for this Stellar Region Designation planning session.
Seven regions from across the State of Indiana submitted letters of interest (LOIs) for the 2018 Stellar Region Designation Program earlier this year. Of those seven, six regions were chosen as finalists and are receiving Stellar planning grants. The six cities and towns in Marshall County self-identified as a region during the application process and was selected as one of the six finalists.
Each finalist is required to submit local Strategic Investment Plans (SIPs). The SIPs detail quality-of-place and economic development projects, partnerships and proposed sources of funding that will help grow and sustain the future of their region. The SIPs are based on feedback and input from every community within their region.
The Marshall County initiative, known as the Crossroads Stellar committee, will spend the next several months working with leaders in the county’s cities and towns to fully develop, promote and communicate its plans, partnerships and sources of funding in preparation for site visits by Indiana’s Stellar Team later this fall.
Stellar Region Designees will be announced later in the fall or early winter of 2018.
About Stellar Regions
Given the increased competitiveness within economic development, a regionalism trend has evolved as a popular strategy across the nation. Indiana is incorporating regionalism into one of our most successful programs: The Stellar
Ball State and Purdue University Participation
Ball State University and Purdue University are participating in the program. Their involvement includes project support, guidance and data analytics. Ball State University’s Indiana Communities Institute will assist communities in the planning stages with project alignment and data analytics. Purdue University’s Center for Regional Development (PCRD) will assist communities’ post-designation with long-term sustainability efforts and project implementation.
