(The Center Square) — Six infrastructure and workforce development projects in Northwest Indiana will receive a total of $1.3 million in state funding toward total project costs of nearly $11 million.
The projects, approved by Northwest Indiana Forum in October, are among 34 northwest regional projects slated for funding by READI, a $500-million funding program created last year by the Legislature to retain and attract talent to Indiana.
READI project grants must be matched by local public, private or philanthropic funds.
On project recently approved by the Forum, which is the regional economic development organization for Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Starke, Jasper, Newton and Pulaski Counties, was the Kingsbury Industrial Park railroad bridge improvement project by the LaPorte County Redevelopment Commission. It will more than over $600,000 in READI funds toward a total project cost of nearly $4.5 million.
“Our continued partnership with the Forum and IEDC has allowed our County to create a 1,000-acre logistics park served by two class one rail carriers as well as south shore freight and our park switcher JBC rail,” LaPorte Redevelopment Commission President Randy Novak said in a statement. “The County Commissioners, Council and RDC members all pulled together and continue to put LaPorte County in a position to be successful.”
Other funded projects in this round were:
Ivanhoe South Community Development & Education Initiative by the Shirley Heinze Land Trust, funded with $977,000 in READI funds toward a total project cost of nearly $1.2 million.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Business Training Program by the Urban League of Northwest Indiana is funded with $282,000 in READI monies toward a total cost of $412,000.
Employer Upskilling project by Center of Workforce Innovations, granted $564,000 in READI Funds toward a total cost of over $1 million.
READY NWI Education Alignment Program by Center of Workforce Innovations, funded by READI with $282,000 toward a total cost of more than $680,000.
Jobs for America’s Graduates Expansion by Center of Workforce Innovations, funded with $470,000 in READI funds toward a $3.3 million total expenditure.
In total the Forum is seeking $50 million in READI funding for 34 projects in Northwest Indiana involving infrastructure, placemaking, entrepreneurship and innovation, talent and business development and marketing.
