Southwest Indiana Regional Development Authority Prioritizes Strengthening Quality of Place Through READI Awards

Seven Projects Awarded Funds throughout the Evansville Region

 EVANSVILLE, Ind. (Feb. 15, 2023) – The Southwest Indiana Regional Development Authority(RDA) obligated an additional $6 million in Regional Economic + Acceleration Development Initiative (READI) grant funds toward seven transformational projects. In total, the RDA has obligated more than $41 of the $50 million in total for projects throughout the Evansville region.

“READI funding is helping the Evansville Region to make purposeful investments in our future” said Tara Barney, CEO of the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (E-REP). “We are prioritizing the importance of quality of place along with supporting our region’s key economic clusters.”

The projects receiving READI funds include:

 Ohio Township Park – Warrick County, $3,000,000 READI Award

A 20-acre visionary park and green space to be developed alongside a new fire station and community center. The park features a giant modern playground, large engaging splash pad and slide, outdoor fitness stations, running and walking trails, sport courts, event lawns, and much more. Located a mile east of Interstate 69, this park will be connected to the Warrick Wellness Trail plus shopping, restaurants, hotels and workplaces.

 Brittlebank Park – Posey County, $1,000,000 READI Award

Two new trails and design work for an inclusive playground to support the improvement and expansion efforts at Brittlebank Park in Mount Vernon. There is planning for a loop trail around a pond, a connector trail, as well as improvements to access and parking. The connector trail will provide a safe and accessible route between the park and nearby West Elementary.

 University of Evansville’s Multidisciplinary Mental Health and Wellness Clinic – Regional, $750,000 READI Award

The development of a community-based clinic for the University of Evansville’s new Doctor of Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program, in which students and faculty provide psychotherapy and psychological testing to clients with mental health problems. The facility will be located on Talbot Square, immediately across Lincoln Avenue, which was purchased by the University. This investment will allow the PsyD program to double its class of incoming students after 3 years, provide increased opportunities for students, and improve the quality of care delivered by expanding the clinic’s focus to include other allied health care students.

 

Koch Family Children’s Museum of Evansville (cMoe) – Vanderburgh County, $580,000 READI Award

cMoe’s Strategic Plan will expand the idea of play in the region, with the READI portion of the project focusing on their internal exhibit enhancements, expansion, and new exhibit additions. This project creates expanded experiences for all who benefit from cultural and recreational experiences: families, children, schools, youth-serving organizations, “Museum for All” users, and more.

 

Cluster Development – Regional, $249,000 READI Award

E-REP will conduct both a regional assessment and strategic roadmap for two key industry growth sectors: Advanced Manufacturing and Health/Life Sciences. This project will focus on catalyzing cluster development to facilitate accelerated economic development and growth for our regional employers and their direct supply chain. Cluster Development will take a deep look into both industries and identify how the region can build capacity and scale for its most impactful employers.

 

I-69 Corridor Planning – Regional, $249,000 READI Award

The Evansville Metropolitan Area has a unique accelerator arriving over the coming 7‐10 years in  the Ohio River Crossing I‐69 Bridge, which will connect the bi‐state region with the National I‐69 corridor and eventually Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. This project not only addresses a solution to long‐term, cross‐river mobility, but it plays to the Evansville region’s strengths of being in the logistical center of the United States. E‐REP will work closely with stakeholders to create a master plan and ensure the corridor and Ohio River Crossing are highly integrated into the Regional Development Plan.

Victoria Woods Trail – Warrick County, $200,000 READI Award

Two miles of beautiful trail to connect Victoria Woods – a 400-home neighborhood– to nearby Friedman and Vann parks, as well as the Castle school system and other neighborhoods. Beginning at Warrick Trails’ current system off Roslin Rd., the new trail will feature scenic water views and a canopy of trees. It will cross over a charming pedestrian bridge into Victoria Woods and connect to the Prime Foods Trailhead in Boonville, increasing access to quality-of-place amenities.

 

The Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (E-REP) on behalf of the RDA will continue to work with the awarded projects on next steps and review additional projects for READI eligibility. While the request for proposal deadline has passed, E-REP highly encourages anyone with a potential project to reach out to its Economic Development team to better assess and align with resources. Email info@evvregion.comwith any questions or inquiries.

E-REP provides the most up-to-date information about READI through its website atevansvilleregion.com/readi-program.