READI 2.0 investments launch Community-Focused Non-Profit Center in Shelbyville

Shelby County is part of the Accelerate Rural Indiana (ARI) region – led by the ARI Regional Development Authority – that was awarded $50 million in READI 1.0 and 2.0 matching funds.

Local and regional leaders in the Accelerate Rural Indiana (ARI) region today announced the allocation of READI 2.0 funding to support the development of the new Non-Profit Center in Shelbyville, marking the region’s first investment through the Indiana Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative 2.0 (READI 2.0). 
Governor Eric J. Holcomb established the now $1.25 billion READI program in 2021, and it has since been nationally recognized for its success. READI 2.0, which was part of the governor’s 2023 Next Level Agenda and approved by the Indiana General Assembly, allocates another $500 million to regions across the state to accelerate shovel-ready projects and programs that are expected to transform Indiana communities, attract talent and improve quality of life for Hoosiers in the short and long term. READI 2.0 funding allocations were awarded in April to 15 regions representing all 92 Indiana counties.
“Across the state, regions are coming together like never before to identify and address opportunities unique to their residents and neighbors,” said Gov. Holcomb. “This new non-profit center in Shelby County will not only help community-focused organizations operate more efficiently, but will also make it easier for Hoosiers across the region to learn about and access the critical services these non-profits provide, thereby bettering the quality of life for individuals and the community at large.”
In the ARI region, the $8.5 million project (including a $1 million READI 2.0 allocation) will redevelop a long-vacant 30,000-square-foot former nursing home into a Non-Profit Center designed to host social services-oriented community organizations and help supporters and those in need of services navigate Shelby County’s 200-plus non-profits. The centralized facility will help like-minded organizations streamline referrals and collaboration opportunities while creating a more coordinated approach to tackling complex challenges, such as transportation, housing and food access. 
The new facility will be operated by Healthy Shelby County, a nonprofit that has long served the community, and will feature incubation space, a centralized food pantry, an industrial kitchen, visitation space, a family resource center, navigator services, a computer lab and showers. Construction is expected to begin by June 2025, and the facility is planned to open in January 2026. 
“On behalf of Healthy Shelby County, we are grateful for the financial support of ARI, which is a demonstration of the regional commitment to support residents and neighbors in their time of need,” said Stephen Black, president of Healthy Shelby County. “Shelby County has many nonprofit organizations dedicated to caring for neighbors through their most vulnerable and challenging moments in life. To pull those resources together under one roof embodies the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. This is truly a force multiplier for Shelby County and the region.”

READI 1.0 has awarded $487 million to 353 unique projects and programs across the state, yielding $12.6 billion invested (26:1 investment leverage ratio) in quality of life, quality of place and quality of opportunity initiatives. READI 2.0, which secured additional funding awarded by the Lilly Endowment Inc., is allocating another $750 million to accelerate community development investments statewide. This funding is expected to attract a minimum 4:1 match of local public and private funding, yielding at least $3 billion invested to increase the vibrancy and prosperity of Hoosier communities. 
Shelby County is part of the Accelerate Rural Indiana (ARI) region – led by the ARI Regional Development Authority – that was awarded $50 million in READI 1.0 and 2.0 matching funds to grow the region’s quality of place, quality of life and quality of opportunity across Decatur, Rush and Shelby counties as well as the city of Batesville. The region’s projects and programs are designed to reimagine the rural region’s ability to attract and retain talent by expanding and improving housing options, making place-based asset improvements, increasing regional education opportunities, upgrading and expanding infrastructure, and telling the region’s story. 

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