By: Chris Jensen, Mayor of Noblesville & CIRDA Co-Chair
As Central Indiana continues to grow, leading the state with double the population growth compared to the rest of Indiana, collaboration is essential to our success. CIRDA members are exploring various sources to secure funding for our region, including grant opportunities. CIRDA members have made a commitment to work in coordination with each other for the benefit of the entire region, ensuring it remains competitive globally. We will not be defined by one grant cycle, but rather by this collective effort to enhance our region.
Through our collaborative efforts and strong network, Central Indiana leaders have received $45M for READI 1.0 grants to support community projects and $45M for READI 2.0 grants, including my hometown of Noblesville which received a $4M award for a marquee pedestrian boulevard going from The Arena at Innovation Mile to the future subdivision, Gatewood Lakes, enhancing quality of life and place for Noblesville’s booming east side.
With federal and local grant opportunities such as READI, the Lilly Endowment Creative Economy strategy through the IEDC, the Greenhouse Gas Inventory, and the Department of Transportation Reconnecting Communities, CIRDA communities have worked together as a region to apply for unique opportunities to deliver more substantial returns for both the state and our local partners through alignment between the IEDC and regional collaborators—ensuring shared goals, coordinated project priorities, and strategic financial support.
Since receiving the READI awards, CIRDA’s White River Technical Committee applied for additional grant funding for projects across Central Indiana and has been awarded $1.6M. This is exactly what communities and regions need to be doing, working collectively for the greater good of the entire area. In the SEA1 environment, grant funds are critically important to our economy, growth, and the vitality of our communities. CIRDA members will continue to double down on our efforts to drive development and move forward together and will continue to advocate for the funding needed for projects that yield a strong return on investment for our state and region.