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Feb 17 2016
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Community Conversations set to begin next week

By Countywide, Elkhart, Featured News, Goshen, Middlebury & Bristol, Nappanee & Wakarusa No Comments

The Community Conversations are set to take place next week in five locations across Elkhart County. The meetings are a follow-up to the well-attended Kickoff Event hosted on January 26 in Elkhart’s Lerner Theatre. During this second round of engagement the agenda will focus in on the smaller place that make up our larger community and challenge attendees to generate ideas about their priorities for action.

Conversation meetings will take place in Goshen, Elkhart (city), Nappanee & Wakarusa, Middlebury & Bristol, and a Countywide (including the interconnected projects, rural areas, and small towns like Millersburg and New Paris). At each meeting participants will be asked to identify quality of place assets (great places to be further leveraged) and opportunities (places with potential and possibility) and prioritize their strategies to strengthen and enliven their community’s places.

Registration for each meeting is not required but encouraged to help the Steering Committee plan for each event. To RSVP head to www.vibrantelkhartcounty.org/getinvolved.

The meetings begin Monday, February 22 at 10 am and then 6pm in the Martin Room of the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds with the Countywide Community Conversation. The full meeting schedule is provided below.

COUNTYWIDE (Rural places and small towns)
MONDAY, FEB. 22 10 AM-Noon or 6:30-8:30 PM
Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds, Martin Room
17746 County Rd 34, Goshen

ELKHART
TUESDAY, FEB. 23 5-7 PM
Pinewood Elementary
3420 E Bristol St, Elkhart

NAPPANEE & WAKARUSA
TUESDAY, FEB. 23 7-9 PM
NorthWood High School
2101 N Main St, Nappanee

GOSHEN
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24 6-8 PM
Goshen High School Media Room
401 Lincolnway East, Goshen

MIDDLEBURY & BRISTOL
THURSDAY, FEB. 25 6-8 PM
Middlebury Town Hall
418 N Main St, Middlebury

Feb 02 2016
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What’s Next for Vibrant Communities?

By Countywide, Elkhart, Featured News, Goshen, Middlebury & Bristol, Nappanee & Wakarusa, Next Chapter No Comments

Building off the energy and excitement of the January 26 Kickoff event in the Crystal Ballroom, the Community Conversations will bring together residents for discussion about what they love about their hometown and what actions they envision that could help make it even more lovable. The Conversations are open to ANYONE who cares about the future of Elkhart County and its many communities. Meetings will run two hours and include a brief presentation from the Planning Team followed by intense discussions on the possibilities for each place. Registration is not required but encouraged to help plan for the events. Registration is now open at: www.VibrantElkhartCounty.org/getinvolved.

Confirmed sites, dates and times for Community Conversations are, as follows:

  • Countywide: 10 a.m. to noon and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, February 22, at the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds, Martin Room, 17746 County Road 34, Goshen.
  • Elkhart: 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 23, at Pinewood Elementary, 3420 East Bristol Street, Elkhart.
  • Nappanee & Wakarusa: 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, February 23, at NorthWood High School, 2101 North Main Street, Nappanee.
  • Goshen: 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, February 24, at the Goshen High School, Media Room, 401 Lincolnway E, Goshen.
  • Middlebury & Bristol: 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, February 25, at Middlebury Town Hall, 418 North Main Street, Middlebury.

To register for one, two, or all of the Conversations head to the Community Conversations page on the website.

EC_CommConvo_MAP_160128_KM-01

 

 

Jan 14 2016
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Beautiful Venue for the Kickoff Example of Community Collaboration, Past Success

By Countywide, Elkhart, Featured News No Comments

Beautiful Venue for the Kickoff Example of Community Collaboration, Past Success

On January 26, hundreds will gather in Elkhart to launch the Vibrant Communities initiative in the beautiful Lerner Theatre in downtown Elkhart. A decade ago this wouldn’t have been possible. The theatre had fallen into great disrepair and its days as a cultural center seemed to be solidly in the past.

That is until barricades were placed on the sidewalk in front of downtown Elkhart’s classic theatre. No VIP was coming – the visits from Bob Hope, Harry Houdini and Andy Williams had gone.

No, the orange barriers signified a public safety concern in 2005. The theatre’s façade was detaching from the structure and was in danger in falling.

The aging structure on Main Street was a mess, and a metaphor for a downtown that was sThe Lerneragging, as well. Storefront vacancies and a lack of activity put Elkhart’s central business district in peril.

But architect Dan Cripe saw potential. So did community leaders like Jack Cittadine, Art Decio, Bob Deputy and many, many more. With support from the city administration and the backing of study groups and the community at large, an $18 million plan was created to reaffirm the Lerner Theatre as the heart of Elkhart’s Arts and Entertainment District.

It wasn’t easy. The Great Recession of 2008-09 was taking a tremendous toll on the local economy. But the Lerner’s revitalization meant so much for the long-term viability and vibrancy of downtown Elkhart that the opportunity could not be put aside for better days.

In 2011, the theatre’s grand re-opening attracted numbers similar to when the house first opened in 1924, when silent movies and vaudeville acts were the entertainment of choice. National acts are welcomed to the stage – names like Willie Nelson, the Beach Boys, Foreigner and Jennifer Nettles – and local talent is showcased with regular performances by Premier Arts, the Elkhart County Symphony, dance academies and more.  

Today, the Lerner is the crown jewel of the Gateway Mile. Downtown occupancy is high, and high-end, market-rate apartments are filled. Nearby neighborhoods are improving, and activities fill the streets, stores and restaurants with regularity.

With the Lerner at its heart, the idea of downtown Elkhart as a place to live, work and play has taken root and contributes to our vibrant community.

Educate. Advocate. Celebrate.

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