Regional Cities Initiative

SMART. CONNECTED. COMMUNITIES.

Recognizing that population stagnation was one of the region’s biggest threats to advancing our economy, in 2015 the South Bend - Elkhart Regional Partnership brought together thousands of stakeholders to develop a strategic plan focused on talent attraction and retention.

In pursuit of a financial partnership with the state of Indiana, we experienced unprecedented collaboration between business, academic, public, and private leaders, resulting in the formation of a Regional Development Authority and development of the Innovate Indiana plan.

A vision emerged to build on the region as a knowledgedriven, highly connected group of communities that serves and provides access to a global innovation economy and become recognized for our world-class higher education and community partnerships, superior access and connectivity, and high performing communities. With a focus on density, connectivity and amenities, the $42 million Regional Cities grant has been invested as seed funding into a set of 28 projects that are enhancing arts and culture, trails and parks, mixed use housing, and more.

At the end of 2020, twenty-one of the projects have been completed, six are under construction and one is in the planning phase. Marquee projects include construction of the Potawatomi Zoo entrance, aquatics centers in Elkhart and Plymouth, manufacturing centers in Plymouth and Argos; and mixed-use housing projects in urban centers across Elkhart, Marshall, and St. Joseph counties. The grant also supported improvements to Howard Park and Ironworks Plaza; renovation of the Studebaker building façade, Hotel Elkhart, Goshen Theater, and REES Theater. The direct investment, including state grant funds, private investment, and local public sector matching funds, is over $350 million.

The indirect return on investment is beyond calculation. The projects have provided innovative options for current and future residents to live, learn, work, and play. They have increased community pride, eliminated blight, connected our communities, and drawn national attention to the region. Beyond the brick-and-mortar projects that will transform our communities for decades, the grant served as a catalyst by making us think more broadly by encouraging our community leaders to come together in an unprecedented way and making us think about sustaining our initiatives that will allow us to both attract and retain the brightest from our schools, our state, and our nation.

FEATURED PROJECT: ELKHART AQUATICS CENTER

Kristin Pruitt, the Regional Development Authority’s Secretary-Treasurer and Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel for Lake City Bank, has acknowledged the immense value these quality-of-life projects add to the region through a personal lens. Her children have grown up to swim competitively in meets around the region, including at the Elkhart Health and Aquatics Center in downtown Elkhart. As COVID-19 shut down fitness centers across the nation, the Elkhart Aquatics Center became a central hub for major swim competitions that could not be hosted elsewhere. Ms. Pruitt commented on the foot traffic downtown Elkhart has received as a result of the added attention, even with the pandemic, and the ripple effect it has had on the community. With the number of spectators drawn to downtown Elkhart for prestigious swimming events, there has consequently been higher demand for easily accessible food options and land development. A private developer is now constructing a mixed-use development on an adjacent parcel that will offer condominiums, offices, and retail space, further adding to the density of amenities in the downtown area. An investment in one quality-of-life project is a long-term investment in the entire community. “I have a strong bias that our arts/culture/trails and our athletics/wellness projects have been the most impactful in our community. Those are the projects that would have experienced more difficulty in securing other economic development funding. As I reflect on the original purpose behind Regional Cities, I believe these projects are the sweet spot.

Kristin Pruitt Lake City Bank