Northeast Indiana’s bid for the regional cities initiative just gained another partner.
The Regional Cities Initiative is a new pot of public-private money held by the state that will be allocated to Indiana regions to fund quality-of-life projects. Those projects are meant to help a region bolster its identity and retain talent.
The ten counties in the Northeast Indiana coalition voted to allow Kosciusko County—west of Fort Wayne—to join the collaborative in creating projects and helping with the presentation to the state.
Courtney Tritch at the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership says adding Kosciusko County to the team should strengthen how the state sees the region’s bid.
“I think that the state will be looking for regions that have the infrastructure to get things done,” Tritch said. “I think that by showing that we’ve been collaborating for ten years and that other counties are looking to us to get on board and join us, I think, speaks volumes on the great work and momentum that’s happening in the region right now.”
The coalition is putting together the pieces now to make a bid to the state this summer.
The total amount available to regional partners for projects is $42 million.
