Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and local officials discuss I-69, tourism during stop in Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. — With I-69 now making its way through Martinsville, the city and Morgan County as a whole is poised for changes in the not-so-distant future.

Local officials anticipate that the new interstate will not only bring economic opportunities to the city and county, but also new residents and visitors.

During a visit to Martinsville on Thursday, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch discussed tourism and economic opportunities with a few local officials.

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As the state's lieutenant governor, Crouch oversees a number of state agencies including the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, Office of Community and Rural Affairs and the Indiana Destination Development Corporation — the state's tourism bureau.

Crouch opened Thursday's discussion by noting that I-69 would bring a number of opportunities along the corridor.

"They've already started," Martinsville Mayor Kenny Costin said.

The lieutenant governor also pointed to the revitalization of downtown Martinsville as a bright spot in the city which will bring development.

For most of 2021, the Indiana Department of Transportation closed a 5-mile stretch of highway, formerly known is Ind. 37, to upgrade it to interstate standards.

During this time, traffic was often heavy through the city.

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Costin noted that the city recently met with the state and that INDOT plans to repave portions of city streets because of the extra traffic in 2021.

While the closure of the highway was an inconvenience, the detour allowed motorists to see downtown Martinsville for the first time — as opposed to driving past it on the highway.

"For us, from a purely tourism perspective, the detour was actually a really good thing because it got a lot of eyeballs on the newly revitalized downtown area," Visit Morgan County Executive Director Tosha Daugherty said.

Daugherty told Crouch that she has heard from many downtown businesses which have noted that they received many new visitors who would likely never have gone through the city.

Costin noted that the geography around Martinsville limits the city's ability to attract large industry.

He's hoping the city can attract new residents who would be willing to travel to Mooresville, Indianapolis or Bloomington to work — but live in Martinsville.

Currently, there are plans to bring about 280 new homes for the Hanna Farms development along Artesian Avenue and developers in the Indian Creek Village are looking to build more than 50 houses.

"We've got to have activities here for the families," Costin said

Tourism in Morgan County

Crouch then asked Daugherty what tourism opportunities are located in Morgan County.

Daugherty pointed to Old Town Waverly Park in northeastern Morgan County as a growing spot for visitors to enjoy.

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She also pointed to other outdoor recreational facilities like Morgan-Monroe and Ravinia state forests, Burkhart Creek County Park, Martinsville's Jimmy Nash Park and Pioneer Park in Mooresville.

"But we also have Cedar Creek Winery, Brewer and Distillery, which is just outside of town," Daugherty said. "They host an annual concert series, the Drink at the Creek concert series that runs from May to October."

There is also a lot of agritourism in Morgan County, including a honey farm and lavender farm.

Crouch noted that tourism often provides people their first opportunity to see a community and some who start as tourists eventually become residents.

With so many Americans working from home after the COVID-19 pandemic, having recreational opportunities could bring future homeowners to Morgan County.

"Anything you do to attract visitors is going to attract residents as well," Daughterly said.

Costin noted that Morgan County is in a prime location because Indianapolis suburbs north of the city are largely flat..

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"Down here you get into the beautiful hills," Costin said.

The mayor also noted that building more hotels in Martinsville would also bring more visitors to the city, especially during large events in Bloomington and during the fall foliage season in Brown County.

Contact Reporter-Times editor Lance Gideon at lgideon@reporter-times.com or 765-342-1543. Follow him on Twitter: @LanceOGideon.

This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch talks I-69 and Martinsville tourism