An adult career education center in downtown Union City is receiving the first official distribution from the region’s $15 million READI state grant award.  As IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports, the project represents “revitalization” in different ways for Randolph County.

The new home of the Vision Corner Learning Center is an older building in downtown Union City.

“It was, to put it nicely, an eyesore.”

Trevor Friedeberg heads the East Central Indiana Regional Partnership.  After the building received a new façade, it was ready to be used for career education and development.

Vision Corner is using $400,000 in READI money for HVAC and mechanical systems improvements.  Friedeberg says the center will use $1.6 million in matching funds to make other improvements and help both the existing workforce and those with plans for the future.

“There’s individuals – helping them enhance their personal skills, become more successful.  Small business owners – making sure they can have a successful launch of their company and make sure they have controlled growth as well.  Corporate leadership – making sure workforce development through shaping culture, operational successes through improved supervisory skills.  And entrepreneurs, as well, and prospective entrepreneurs.”

The eight-county East Central region tied for the second-smallest portion of the READI program’s $500 million in late 2021, funded through federal coronavirus relief money.  With the $15 million award and private matching dollars, the partnership announced last year it’s prioritizing housing and career education projects.

Last summer, Muncie officials claimed the first local READI project with improvements to the McKinley and Whitely neighborhoods.  But Friedeberg says giving out grant money is a process, and “because these are federal funds, we have to make sure every single box is checked as we move through the process.”

Friedeberg says many projects are in the development phase already.  “Vision Corner,” he says, “just happened to be the first actual disbursement that we’re making for READI projects.  They just got to the finish line first and are ready for their disbursement now.”

“We’re at a point with several projects that you’re going to be seeing more announcements and more frequently as we move forward in the next few weeks.”

Vision Corner is still working on construction and hopes to open sometime in the summer.