Vermillion County receives OCRA grant for demolition in Dana

The Office of Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced 15 rural communities will receive more than $10.8 million in federal grant funding to expand community facilities, improve water infrastructure and eliminate blight.

Vermillion County is one of the recipients for projects in Dana.

“These grants improve daily life in rural Indiana and create more opportunities for Hoosiers,” Lieutenant Governor Beckwith said. “Congratulations to the local leaders of these communities. Your work supports small businesses, creates jobs, and strengthens our state's economy.”

OCRA distributes Community Development Block Grant funds to rural communities, which assist units of local government with various community projects such as infrastructure improvement, downtown revitalization, public facilities and economic development.

"It is great to see so many towns, cities and counties using the resources at their disposal to better their residents' quality of life," OCRA Executive Director Fred Glynn said. "Congratulations to the leaders in each of these communities. Your hard work does not go unnoticed and will have a lasting positive impact in your community."

The Blight Clearance Program strives to encourage Indiana communities with blighted properties to focus on long-term community development and revitalization through improving quality of place, generating jobs and spurring economic revitalization. Eligible projects to receive grant funding through the Blight Clearance Program are deteriorated or abandoned downtown buildings or vacant and unusable industrial sites.

One project is receiving Blight Clearance Program grant funding is in Vermillion County. $500,000 was awarded to demolish three buildings in the Town of Dana that have had long-term structural stability issues, broken glass windows, non-securable windows and entryways, and exposed mold and asbestos. The project will eliminate environmental hazards, improve community safety and promote downtown revitalization.