Plans that could involve $300 million in development to transform a portion of downtown Elkhart, Ind., into a more walkable and livable community are underway and leaders behind The River District say it will play a vital role in workforce attraction and retention.
This story by Dan McGowan originally appeared in Inside Indiana Business.
River District Implementation Team Chair Dave Weaver said the project will be a “generational transformation” for the city. The group says Elkhart currently has more open jobs than citizens to fill them and the 105-acre development, which includes projects already underway like a $65 million aquatics center, will boost the quality of life in the manufacturing-intensive city.
Bob Deputy, a philanthropist and former manufacturing executive, is also part of the River District Implementation Team. He says the district will be an “aspirational place” that will draw people to live, work and play.
Estimates show nearly 30,000 workers from outside of Elkhart County commute there for work each day and the county’s 2.7 percent unemployment rate is tied for the lowest in the state, prompting the city and community leaders to look for a big play.
In addition to the housing and commerce possibilities, plans for the district also call for trail systems that will help create better connections throughout the city and as Weaver added, “will actually activate” the riverfront with recreational access to the St. Joseph River and Elkhart River.