The state of Indiana has put $500 million on the table and invited regions within the state submitting proposals to use a part of that money, called READI grants. the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) has been tasked with setting up a system for evaluating the 17 regions submitting requests. Those requests would total about $1 billion, so all regions will not receive all the money they want.
READI stands for “Indiana Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative.”
One of the 17 requests includes a region consisting of Hamilton, Madison and Marion Counties. Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness has been heavily involved in the submission, centered on developing areas along the White River.
The IEDC announced the names of those deciding which regions will share in the $500 million and how much each will be awarded. The READI Review Committee consists of the following members:
- Bill Hanna, Executive Director, Dean and Barbra White Family Foundation
- Isaac Bamgbose, President and CEO of New City Development
- Jason Dudich, Vice President for Finance and Administration, Treasurer, University of Indianapolis
- Jason Blume, Executive Director, Innovation One
- Kelli Jones, Co-Founder and General Partner, Sixty8 Capital
- Leah Curry, President, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana
- Lori Luther, Chief Operating Officer, IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital
The IEDC is expected to announce the awards by the end of 2021.