WE ARE READI

Regional Projects Awarded READI Funds

The Southwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA) has obligated $50 million total in Regional Economic + Acceleration Development Initiative (READI) funds
toward transformational projects located throughout the Evansville Region.

PROJECTS AWARDED READI FUNDS

5^th and Main (The Vault), Vanderburgh, $3,852,000 million READI award
Summary: READI funds will contribute to site cleanup, underground demolition, excavation, and preparation for new, mixed-use residential living. 160 apartments paired with amenities like a restaurant and underground parking in the heart of the city will bring economic success and shine a light on Evansville as a place to live and work.

Downtown Evansville Riverfront Development – Regional, $5,000,000 READI award
Summary: The next step in transforming our riverfront! Schematic Design documents for Evansville’s new riverfront development, a visionary effort led by Sasaki as the next step to the Ohio River Vision and Strategic Plan. These schematic design documents will allow Evansville to become a competitive applicant for federal grant initiatives to further riverfront development.

Toyota YMCA, Gibson County, $5 million READI award
Summary: A first class, 56,600 square foot, full facility YMCA for all residents located in Gibson County and will include a fitness facility with free weights, cardio and selectorized equipment, gymnasium, competition pool, teaching kitchen for nutrition education, exercise studios, community room, partner space, and youth wing containing STEM Lab, and youth and teen recreation areas.

The District (Princeton Workforce Housing), Gibson County, $2.5 million READI award
Summary: A multi-family 144-unit apartment development will include a multi-use clubhouse and pool and is located near major regional employers including Toyota and its suppliers.

Warrick County Sports Center, Warrick County, $5 million READI award
Summary: An approximately 110,000 square foot multipurpose athletic facility that can leverage the popularity of youth and collegiate sports to help the region’s tourism and hospitality related businesses thrive along with adding an amenity for residents.

Regional Marketing Strategy, Regional, $2 million READI award
Summary: Utilize E is for Everyone existing framework to enhance a unified branding campaign that tells the Evansville Region’s best story and delivers personalized stories to attract and retain talent.

Site Development Plan, Regional, $100,000 READI award
Summary: Site development planning will be the start of many master plans along our transportation corridors that will allow future development needs in economic development and begin expansion opportunities for existing companies to grow in the region.

Regional Riverfront Planning & Activation, Regional, $1,125,000 Million READI award
Summary: Funding will be for a comprehensive riverfront strategy centered on Downtown Evansville, while also considering our other downtown riverfronts in Mount Vernon and Newburgh, as well as the unprecedented Ohio River Bridge Crossing. The scope of the project will include a detailed and phased riverfront strategy that incorporates work from a nationally recognized landscape architect, urban designer, civil engineer, and transportation expert to guide the investment.

Karges Lofts Workforce Housing, Vanderburgh County, $3.745 Million READI award
Summary: A 150-unit apartment complex, known as “Karges Lofts”, is located on Maryland St., two block north of Franklin St. in Evansville, IN. This project will bring restoration to a boarded up, historic property that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places while providing additional housing near major employers such as Berry Global, Deaconess, and Heritage Petroleum.

USI Nursing Expansion, Regional, $735,000 READI award
Summary: Over the course of three-years, The University of Southern Indiana (USI) is expanding the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program by up to 60 students annually for a total of 180 students, along with expansion in other health professions programs. The Evansville metro area alone has over 450 openings for registered nurses and expansion of the program will help strengthen the nursing workforce pipeline in our region.

Woodmere Dog Park, Vanderburgh County, $165,000 READI award
Summary: This project encompasses the development of a dog park facility within Woodmere Park, located on the east side of Evansville adjacent to the State Hospital Grounds. The Dog Park is 3 acres of land with the goal of providing a safe and convivial opportunity for a free-range activity for dogs and their owners.

Life Sciences Student Housing – Vanderburgh County, $5,000,000 Million READI award
Summary: Located on the downtown medical campus, this project takes an abandoned building and transforms into collaborative learning spaces and housing for medical students and professionals.

Promenade Flats – Vanderburgh County, $2,500,000 READI Award
Project Summary: The Promenade on Evansville’s eastside is mixed-use development area, and this READI project will allow for housing to be added to the area. These residential units will be walkable to restaurants, grocery, and entertainment. The site will also have amenities like a pool, balconies, and garages. From the builder of the Post House, a Regional Cities win, CRG Residential is proposing a 220-unit apartment complex near employers like Deaconess Gateway and Shoe Carnival headquarters.

The Mary O’Daniel Stone and Bill Stone Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – Vanderburgh County, $2,000,000 READI Award
Summary: Establishes a $2 million seed fund at Indiana University School of Medicine‐Evansville to support the recruitment and retention of a highly trained workforce over the next five years that is globally competitive and relevant while simultaneously improving the quality of our residents’ lives. This includes the creation of a first‐of‐its‐kind national data analytics platform for examining the current practice of psychiatry across the US. This real-world data asset is being led by a collaboration between the IU School of Medicine Evansville campus and nationally deployed HIPAA compliant electronic health record systems across a collective network of up to 10,000 community‐based specialists and primary care physicians nationwide.

Centerpoint Energy Square – Vanderburgh County, $1,000,000 READI Award
Project Summary: Seen as Downtown Evansville’s “public square,” Centerpoint Energy Square will sit at the very center of downtown and our region right on Main Street. It will become a gathering place open to all and an active, inviting, and vibrant addition to park offerings in our region. Centerpoint Energy announced a $1 million grant for this park in 2021. The budget includes “fun” additions such as a stage, ping pong tables, swings, and more.

Mt. Vernon Riverfront Land Acquisition – Posey County, $1,000,000 READI Award
Summary: The City of Mount Vernon has recently announced a $100 million investment within Posey County, that will bring 200 jobs to the area in future years. Housing in Mount Vernon is already needed, and this exciting announcement only increases the need. The Centerpoint Energy office on the riverfront in Downtown Mount Vernon is being vacated in 2024, and this project will use READI dollars to gain site control in 2024 and prepare the land for future housing.

Warrick Trails – Warrick County, $450,000 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The awarded projects align with the community goals set forth in the Evansville Region’s plan called Talent EVV. The Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (E-REP) on behalf of the RDA will work with the awarded projects on next steps while continuing to review additional projects for READI eligibility.

The LiveREADI request for proposal (RFP) for housing projects and PlayREADI RFP for quality of place projects are open until December 2022 or until all READI funding has been obligated. E-REP provides the most up-to-date information about READI through its website at https://www.evansvilleregion.com/readi-program/.