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 (Lake City 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