In the past several years, Frankfort, Indiana’s Main Street district has undergone significant alterations.
Abandoned storefronts have been cleaned up, new businesses trickled in and the Ivy Tech Community College branch relocated downtown.
Shan Sheridan, executive director of the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce, believes the changes spurred the community to advocate for more improvements.
“It really changed the whole attitude of our community,” Sheridan said. “People think maybe Frankfort deserves better.”
Now, thanks to a $40,000 federally funded planning grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, the city is ramping up efforts to revitalize its downtown.
The grant writing process was a collaboration among the Clinton County Extension Office, Frankfort’s Main Street Program and the mayor’s office.
Before grant writing even began, however, Purdue University’s Enhancing Public Spaces curriculum was used to engage the community in planning for Frankfort’s future.
Through workshops, grant writers were able to streamline the city’s vision.