The call is going out to the public soon on what they want to see in the next round of READI grants.

In 2021, the Indiana governor launched the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative.

It’s a half million dollar grant-loan program meant to enable new projects to improve quality of life place and opportunity.

Knox County Indiana Economic Development CEO Chris Pfaff told the Knox County Commissioners on Tuesday that an online web page portal will be available soon to get the public’s input on where they believe the money should go.

He said now through February the local  READI 2.0 steering committee made up of 20 community members is working on the regional planning process.

There is a change in what this round of money can be spent on.  The legislature has deemed that READI monies can only used on physical projects and not programs…

You may recall that READI 1.0 resulted in five million dollars coming to Knox County and those projects are ongoing.

They included a municipal sewer project, a water project to be used to attract business, a simulator lab expansion at Good Samaritan Hospital, seed money for the Grouseland Visitor’s Center and funds for an already launched robotics program launched by VU to local schools.