Officials from the City of Bloomington, Monroe County, and the Bloomington City Council have jointly signed a letter of support for establishing a new Economic Development District (EDD) in South Central Indiana.
The proposed district would include Brown, Monroe, and Owen counties. EDDs are multi-jurisdictional entities that bring together public, private, and non-profit sectors to establish a strategic blueprint known as a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).
The letter underscores the potential benefits of formalizing regional cooperation in economic development by highlighting the area's life sciences, higher education, technology, and defense sectors, as well as its historical significance in the limestone industry.
“With a CEDS, we will be better positioned to apply for future funding opportunities and maximize the impact of these funds across the region,” Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson stated in her letter. “This will particularly benefit workforce and sector development, climate action initiatives, and the enhancement of our transportation corridor.”
The letter was sent to the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the body which grants the designation as an EDD.
Once the appropriate documents are compiled, they must be coupled with a regional office-developed summary of the requested designation, including the name of the organization requesting the designation and rationale for the regional office’s recommendation. This must be included in the EDD designation package for regional reviews.
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