Housing is one of the ten pillars that make up the Marshall County Crossroads Quality of Life plan. This plan was developed by the Crossroads organization and is the basis of the Regional Stellar designation that Marshall County was awarded in December of 2019. Almost a year later work on these housing projects is well underway.
Several housing projects are in their initial stages of development in Marshall County. These projects include Riverside Commons, LaPaz Lodge, Owner-Occupied Rehab, LaPaz Water Study, and Bourbon Wastewater Utility improvements.
The LaPaz Housing Development and the Plymouth Riverside Commons project are part of a scattered site application to Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority (IHCDA) to be approved for Low Income Housing Tax Credits.
The scattered site application for the two sites was submitted September 18, 2020 and is currently under consideration. Funding awards are slated to be announced at the IHCDA board meeting in January 2021.
The two projects are designed to provide low-income housing to the community. The LaPaz project is located on the south east corner of Michigan Road and Troyer Street. This project will provide eight units of rental housing.
The Plymouth Riverside Commons project is located on the North West corner of Baker Street and Richter Road near Riverside Intermediate School and the Greenway Trail. A combination of townhouses and apartments will make up the 40 units planned for this location.
These important housing projects will help to provide much needed affordable housing for LaPaz, Plymouth and the Marshall County Community. A need that has been identified by several studies, local government officials and area employers.
The Marshall County Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program began accepting applications from homeowners on Wednesday, Oct. 21 through Saturday, Oct. 24 with a series of In-take meetings at the six communities throughout the county. About 70 homeowners looking to participate in the program attended one of these meetings to complete the application process. Marshall County OOR program received a $500,000 grant from IHCDA.
Once the applications are collected, they will be evaluated to make sure they meet the requirements of the program and the scope of the work is accurate. The bidding process for the sites that have been selected is scheduled to begin in the spring and work would begin on the homes late spring and summer of 2021. Contractors that successfully bid on the work are paid directly from the program; no money is given to the homeowners.
The LaPaz Town Council selected an engineering firm to begin the water utility planning study. This study is the first step in creating a water utility for the community which is desirable for commercial and housing development.
Contracts for engineering on the Bourbon Wastewater Utility project have been signed and bids are expected to go out the first of the year. This project is to replace and improve two lift stations in town and extend the life of the wastewater lagoon. This project will also be integral in improving future commercial and housing development.
These housing projects highlight the impact the stellar designation has already begun to have in just one sector of our regional planning initiative during our first year as a regional stellar designee. With housing projects like these, ranging from infrastructure improvement, to owner occupied housing repairs, to new workforce housing, the Marshall County Crossroads team is looking forward to seeing the full impact of these projects on the quality of life in our region.
