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Hope For Renewing The City

Information reprinted with permission from the Courier Times, local newspaper New Castle, Indiana

10/11/2013 5:46:00 PM

Hope for renewing the city
Streetscape, artscape discussed at Hope Initiative

By SARA GEER

sgeer@thecouriertimes.com

An improved streetscape and artscape in New Castle topped the list of topics recently discussed among Hope Initiative members.

The group got together Thursday for an update. Group organizer Cathy Hamilton welcomed former participants in the Stellar Communities Grant forum. New members also joined the discussion.

In the months since the Stellar Grant opportunity, community members have been stepping up to lead committees on issues most important to them, Hamilton said.

"One issue brought up multiple times was to improve downtown's streetscape and artscape," Hamilton said. "I'm proud to say that the art association is stepping up to the plate with that."

The New Castle Art Association in June updated the Arts Park front entrance by replacing the sidewalk, adding black top to the front and making it more open, Hamilton said.

"I heard in a conference all about how the arts can be used to invigorate the community," Hamilton said. "They followed everything we were told. The arts are being pushed out through there."

Group member Jeff Ray announced the arts association is also considering hiring a consultant to add cultural trails along North 15th Street connecting the Arts Park, New Castle-Henry County Public Library and New Castle Historical Society.

"They want to try to tie that all together," Ray said. "The community needs to be involved in that process."

Along with artscape is improved signage, said Beverly Hankenhoff, a group member. Hope Initiative plans to have a contest asking students and adults with art backgrounds to make suggestions for an improved city entrance sign.

"We thought there are enough artists that can come up with an idea that represents our community," Hankenhoff said.

The group also discussed the need for an updated housing assessment and having a wellness center.

"By having an updated housing assessment, we can get a better picture of what we need in our community and what we have too much of," Hamilton said.

Members said a housing assessment would be good only if a nationally known firm manages the study and provides new information.

"We all know the city is disproportionately disabled and elderly," Hamilton said. "We want new information that we couldn't find on Google already. We are meeting not to only discuss plans, but to implement them and make them reality."

Sara Geer is a staff writer for The Courier-Times. Follow her on Twitter @s_kovach.