A unified vision for downtown Elkhart
It is no secret that big things are happening in downtown Elkhart these days. Among them is the merger of the Elkhart Centre – the 22-year-old not-for-profit downtown revitalization organization – with Elkhart Downtown, Inc., and the Downtown Elkhart Business Association. As a strong, unified organization, the newly renamed Downtown Elkhart, Inc., will focus on economic development, bringing together all downtown groups and stakeholders to create a better downtown.
The goal of the organization is to unite the downtown community – comprising business owners, entrepreneurs, property owners, community organizations, civic leaders, and others – to cooperatively identify and address issues and to create and implement initiatives for continuing downtown improvements. It is a diverse group of stakeholders, but all are invested in creating a successful central neighborhood that attracts and retains new businesses and visitors.
Downtown Elkhart, Inc., is helmed by an executive committee including:
- Dan Boecher (First State Bank) – President
- Tim Shelly (Warrick & Boyn) – first vice president
- Kirk Root (Skyline Corporation) – treasurer
- Bill Lavery (Whisler & Lavery) – immediate past president
- Jason Ward (Sanders Pianowski LLP) – legal counsel
New wayfinding signage in the works for downtown Elkhart
The Downtown Elkhart, Inc., Design Committee has been hard at work on the development of a new user-friendly wayfinding signage system for downtown Elkhart and other area attractions. Production of the new Phase I signage will be funded by a $20,000 Downtown Enhancement Grant from the Indiana Main Street Program and $5,000 contributions from the Elkhart Urban Enterprise Association and the Downtown Elkhart, Inc., Economic Development Committee, respectively. The City of Elkhart will handle new signage installation.
