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Downtown Kendallville property owners can learn more about the $2 million PreservINg Main Street grant program and pick up grant applications at a Town Hall meeting to be hosted at City Hall next Tuesday. The Town Hall meeting will take place from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in advance of the Common Council meeting in the Chambers on the second floor at City Hall on Main Street. The Town Hall meeting will provide additional information learned by Experience the Heart of Kendallville (EHK) as the city continues to work through the pilot program. Topics will include the Historic Preservation Commission that must be formed and the first chance to pick up applications to apply for funding. Interested property owners are encouraged to continue to follow this blog and may Subscribe to it to receive updates. A new Frequently Asked Questions section has been added to the EHK website as well. And, as resources become available, they will be shared as a "library" for access on the website. For more information, please submit our Contact Us form and we will reply as quickly as possible.

At the October 19 meeting of the Kendallville City Council, Shannon McLeod, Kendallville's grant administrator for the PreservINg Main Street pilot community funds awarded through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), provided an update regarding an important next step in the process of awarding funds to projects to transform downtown Kendallville's historic commercial buildings. McLeod reported that $200,000 of the $2 million grant award has been earmarked for the purpose of procuring the services of an architect. An architect experienced in historic preservation will be sought through a procurement process. The goal is to have an architect lined up to assist throughout the design and planning stages of proposed projects by the end of 2021. The city will request qualifications from architecture firms interested in the job and a review panel will select one to help design projects submitted and prepare plans for contractors to be able to submit bids. Parties interested in being considered are invited to contact Experience the Heart of Kendallville to ensure they are advised when the procurement process begins.

About 45 stakeholders in downtown Kendallville properties and businesses came together at the Kendallville Chamber of Commerce meeting room on October 11 to hear more information about the $2 million PreservINg Main Street grant and how it might benefit them. Attendees heard that the state agencies funding the grant are looking for a "wow factor" delivered through building improvements that retain the historic integrity of properties and are completed in ways that can be replicated in other communities. As a "pilot community", being able to replicate success is a significant responsibility for Kendallville. Eligibility Main Street district, downtown Kendallville Permanent building improvements only (not signs, awnings, etc.) Front and most visible facades (not backs of buildings) Big transformations with high impact are preferable 15% match required (35% less than the city's Facade Grant requirement) No cap on funding available per project Free consultations with an architect specializing in historic preservation is available and encouraged Subject to design and contract terms from funders Multiple contractor bids required Timeline The timeline for projects was laid out in general terms. Design work will need to be completed over the winter months so that bids can go out in spring and construction can begin by summer. Work must be completed over the next two years. Properties looking to further explore projects are encouraged to reach out to Kristen Johnson at (260) 347-1554 as soon as possible. Defining "historic" Main Street consultant John Bry helped define for property owners how to approach "historic" upgrades, noting: Renovations are not required to be 100% faithful to any specific period in history Original features that have been destroyed do not need to be replaced Portions of buildings lost to fire and demolished do not need to be rebuilt Creative license is allowed to add back appropriate features Removing false facades to reveal and restore historic facades is appropriate Consultations with experts will be available to help identify appropriate renovations Next steps Some of the next steps outlined by Mayor SuzAnne Handshoe, who explained the objective is to provide guidance to protect properties and preserve the historic look and feel of downtown, include: Establishing a historic preservation commission Adopting a historic preservation ordinance Sign up Property and business owners within the eligible area who wish to explore possible projects, willing to cover 15% of costs, are asked to contact Kristen Johnson at (260) 347-1554 to be placed on a list for ongoing communications.

Dear Main Street Property Owners & Merchants, By now you have likely heard about the $2M grant that was awarded to Kendallville for façade upgrades to buildings in our downtown corridor. This is a very exciting time for our community, and we want to make sure we are communicating openly with all of you on the project as work progresses. Please join us for a “brown bag” meeting on Monday, October 11th at 6:00pm at the Kendallville Chamber (122 S Main Street). We will be sharing information regarding grant eligibility, project focus, expectations from the community, and more – as well as answering your questions. If you are unable to make it, please consider sending a representative. This grant has a very aggressive timeline, so it’s important that any interested parties become actively engaged at the start. We look forward to seeing you on the 11th!

INDIANAPOLIS (July 23, 2021) –Today, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced the five community finalists of the PreservINg Main Street Pilot Program. The finalist communities include the towns of Attica, Brookville and Cambridge City, and the cities of Kendallville and Jasper. In partnership with Indiana Landmarks and Indiana Humanities, PreservINg Main Street is designed to build a sustainable historic preservation ethic while building local capacity and a comprehensive downtown revitalization model. "Congratulations to these communities on moving forward in this program's selection process," Crouch said. "Programs like PreservINg Main Street are important in helping our rural communities with the promotion of their downtowns and historic preservation." All five finalist communities will receive an in-person site visit from the selection team this August. “This was a very competitive program with dozens of communities applying,” said OCRA Executive Director Denny Spinner. “While we saw many great applications, these five communities really stood out. We look forward to continue working with these finalists and visiting the communities in the next steps." The pilot community selected will be eligible for implementation funds of up to $2 million through OCRA’s Community Development Block Grant program, along with multiple capacity building opportunities through a partnership with Main Street America, Indiana Humanities and Indiana Landmarks. The selected pilot community will be announced on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. Visit in.gov/ocra/preserving-main-street/ to learn more.

We did it! Kendallville won a $2 million grant as one of two communities named a PreservINg Main Street Pilot Community! The announcement came from Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch on September 10, 2021. Kendallville and Brookville, IN were both selected to receive $2 million that can be used for making transformative facade upgrades and establish historic preservation guidelines. The announcement of two winners was unexpected, but exciting! The next step has already taken place. Several leaders on the Kendallville project traveled to Indianapolis on September 21 to learn more about the grant and begin planning. According to Experience the Heart of Kendallville (EHK) President Kristen Johnson, eyes are focused on a makeover of "the Strand block". The properties along the east side of Main Street between Rush and Williams Streets are targeted to serve as a "demonstration block", enabling transformations to begin and serve to share best practices and provide many learning opportunities that will enable the process to be replicated. The EHK board of directors and community partners are about to dive deeper into a variety of capacity-building steps, including the development of commissions, standards, and more. EHK will provide updates here, and through other means of communication, as the project moves forward. The community is also required to raise $200,000 as "matching funds" in order to receive the grant funding.

You've seen them along Main Street in downtown Kendallville all summer, and soon you can own one (or more)! The Art on Main Bee Box Auction is coming Saturday, September 18 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at Hosler Realty, 106 S. Main Street, to downtown Kendallville. Twenty hand-decorated wooden bee boxes, designed by local artists, will be auctioned off to the highest bidders to benefit Experience the Heart of Kendallville, the city's Main Street™ affiliate organization that helped make Kendallville a Top 5 finalist recently in the PreservINg Main Street grant competition. A winner is expected to be announced on September 10, postponed from August 27. In addition to the live auction, come downtown on September 18 to enjoy beer, wine, light hors d'oeuvres, and educational booths to learn more about how you can help keep our pollinators healthy and productive! Join us to support Main Street revitalization, our downtown businesses, and to learn more and support beekeeping and honey production in our community. Art on Main 2021 is sponsored by NIPSCO.

In past years, Kendallville's Main Street has been adorned with brightly and uniquely decorated benches, wheelbarrows, and rain barrels. During summer 2021, downtown will be abuzz with honeybee hives-turned-artworks as part of the 2021 Art on Main project. Twenty plain, wood bee hive boxes were distributed by the Kendallville Chamber of Commerce in early summer to local groups and individuals to produce works of art. Now, the hives can be seen and enjoyed along Main Street, on sidewalks and in storefronts. On Saturday, September 18, 2021 the hives will be auctioned off at a downtown event to raise money for Experience the Heart of Kendallville's various downtown revitalization efforts. In conjunction with the art project, the Chamber has also decorated downtown with pollinator-friendly flowers and sandwich boards containing information about bee facts and conservation tips. Honeybees have been a target of recent conservation efforts as ongoing studies show bee colonies have been shrinking and dying off in recent years. Aside from producing honey that humans enjoy eating, honeybees are responsibly for up to 80% of plant pollination, making them an important link in the ongoing survival of many plant species. This year’s Art on Main project is sponsored by NIPSCO.

Kendallville -- Experience the Heart of Kendallville (EHK) has been designated as an affiliate Main Street™ program. Each year, Main Street America and its partners announce the list of nationally recognized affiliate programs in recognition of their commitment to creating meaningful improvements in their downtowns and commercial districts using the Main Street Approach™, a framework for preservation-based economic development and community revitalization. “We are thrilled to acknowledge this year’s 337 Main Street affiliate programs and their commitment to revitalizing their downtowns and commercial districts,” said Patrice Frey, President & CEO of Main Street America. “During a difficult year, these Main Street programs have proven their unique ability to generate impressive economic outcomes, preserve the character of their downtowns, and lift up their communities.” In 2020, Main Street America programs generated $4.14 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 4,356 net new businesses, generated 14,988 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 8,488 historic buildings, and clocked 983,702 volunteer hours. EHK’s performance is annually evaluated by Indiana Main Street, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that are committed to comprehensive revitalization and achieving meaningful community outcomes. EHK brings a variety of events to downtown Kendallville each year and supports small businesses in the Main Street area.

Inspired by the nearly 80 fairy, gnome, and troll families that "reside" across Noble County, downtown Kendallville presents the return of the wildly popular Fairy, Gnome & Troll Festival! Creativity and fun will be plentiful - with lots of free activities- on Main Street during the Festival on Saturday, August 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Bring the family and enjoy free entertainment, a chalk walk, treasure hunt, photo booth, bubble party, workshops and demonstrations, hands-on craft activities, food and other vendors, and more! The Festival is currently accepting sponsors, and vendors. Learn more at Adventure Noble County, the go-to place to find and meet all of the region's fairies, gnomes, and trolls! This event is made possible by Experience the Heart of Kendallville, an Affiliate Main Street™ program preserving downtown Kendallville historic character and economy.

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