Housing is big on Vigo Conty agenda

David Kronke, The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, Ind.
·3 min read

Jun. 15—At the second annual County Update with the Vigo County Commissioners, Mark Clinkenbeard recalled that a woman recently accused him of "toxic positivity."

"If that's the worst thing I'm accused of, that's pretty good," he added.

Positivity was the theme of the day at Thursday's update at the Terre Haute Convention Center, an event hosted by the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce.

Clinkenbeard appeared with Chris Switzer and Mike Morris in a discussion moderated by Josh Alsip, the chamber's director of community engagement.

The commissioners said their biggest goal is to halt declines in both the population and the per capita personal income.

Clinkenbeard said that the way to do so is to lure better jobs to the area and to enhance quality-of-life projects, adding that housing opportunities are the biggest challenge.

The county hopes to use $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to offer enticements to nearby construction companies to build homes costing in the $250,000 range.

"We need 200, 300 homes pretty quick," Switzer said.

Switzer added that the county is using $2 million in ARPA money to "replace culverts that haven't been replaced since the 1800s."

The county will also repave 44 of the 830 miles of roads it's responsible for, though the cost to repave a single mile has recently jumped to $100,000.

Tourism

Commissioners were bullish on local tourism. Morris noted that the Mill amphitheater has expanded regional tourism with its concert lineup, drawing many from the surrounding area.

Switzer said that the convention center has brought visitors downtown, and the county should find ways to lure them to other parts of the city.

"We want people looking around at what else we have to offer," he said.

Next year's April 8 lunar eclipse, Switzer added, could represent the biggest tourism event in local history, and expects the influx of visitors to continue to expand.

Likewise, the Terre Haute Resort Casino is anticipated to contribute to the boon in tourism.

Switzer noted that smart lobbying has changed the opinions of those in the Indiana Statehouse in Terre Haute's favor.

"Now, we have to reach the naysayers in Terre Haute with a negative attitude toward change," he said, adding that that has been happening slowly.

Good city-county vibe

Switzer also expressed enthusiasm of the fruitful collaboration of city and county.

"We're on a roll," he said in an interview. "The mayor and I joke around quite a bit that we're in constant communication every day, and we really are.

"I would put our relationship against any community in the state with how well the mayor and the county commissioners work and you usually don't see relationships like that," Switzer added.

"The leadership throughout the community is firing on all cylinders. It's an exciting time to be in Terre Haute."

Among those attending were Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett, state Sen. Jon Ford, state Rep. Tonya Pfaff and the new superintendent of the Vigo County School Corporation, Chris Himsel.

David Kronke can be reached at 812-231-4232 or at david.kronke@tribstar.com.