PRINCETON, IN (WFIE) -
A celebration in Princeton, The Gibson County Community has been designated a Stellar community and that means up to $18 million in state grant money.
In it's original application, Princeton asked for $18 million to complete at least 11 major projects including downtown lofts, new downtown trails, senior housing and rehabing the old movie theatre into a performance theatre.
The city doesn't know how much money exactly they will receive, but they do know work starts Monday.
"The next three years will be tons of hard work but certainly tremendous transformation for downtown Princeton," said Manager for External Affairs at Toyota Kelly Dillon.
In it's second attempt at becoming a Stellar community, Princeton was one of two cities chosen out of 40.
"The Stellar committee saw that we were committed to dong work on the downtown area and we didn't stop," said Princeton Mayor Bob Hurst.
Several improvements have already been made to Princeton as part of the city's master plan, and the mayor says this grant money will just accelerate the plan.
"Hopefully we'll get all the buildings filled and be busy again."
As part of the Stellar Grant commitment, individuals or businesses have to match part of the grant. Toyota is pledging $1 million, Kyle Johnson half a million dollars.
"I joke a little bit, that in five years, before the Stellar grant, I was either going to be brilliant, or the biggest fool of Gibson county for spending all this money on all these buildings and rehab them and things like that and so now, basically, I think that it's kind of validating and makes me feel good that the state feels the same way," said Johnson, who is the President and CEO of Onsite OHS.
"The transformation that is going to take place over the next three years, I think will amaze not only the residents of Princeton in that they will be very proud to see the changes, but also be a model for other communities in the state and other states," Dillon told 14 News.
The mayor tells me there may also be time and money to complete four additional projects including improvements to the Princeton pool.
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