West Central Indiana Economic Development District Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Summary Background Parke County County Seat: Rockville About the District Largest City: Rockville Square Miles: 444.70 The District is made up of six counties (Clay, Population (2010): 17,354 Parke, Putnam, Sullivan, Vermillion, and Vigo Population (2016): 16,800 County) centrally located along the western Population Per Sq. Mile: 37.78 border of the State of Indiana. It is a vibrant Per Capita Income (2016): $33,721 region of rural communities, 36 Median Income (2016): $47,599 incorporated cities and towns, and one Class Unemployment Rate (2016): 5.3 II City; the City of Terre Haute in Vigo Table 2 - Parke County Quick Facts County, which is the 12th largest city in the Putnam County State in terms of population. Vigo County is County Seat: Greencastle the largest county in the District with 47.9% Largest City: Greencastle of the total population. Square Miles: 480.50 The counties of Clay, Sullivan, Vermillion and Population (2010): 37,952 Vigo makeup the Terre Haute Metropolitan Population (2016): 37,436 Statistical Area (MSA). Putnam County is part Figure 1 - Indiana County Map Population Per Sq. Mile: 77.91 Per Capita Income (2016): $34,742 of the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson MSA. Median Income (2016): $50,896 County Quick Facts: Unemployment Rate (2016): 4.5 Table 3 - Putnam County Quick Facts Clay County Sullivan County County Seat: Brazil County Seat: Sullivan Largest City: Brazil Largest City: Sullivan Square Miles: 357.50 Square Miles: 447.10 Population (2010): 26,887 Population (2010): 21,475 Population (2016): 26,309 Population (2016): 20,802 Population Per Sq. Mile: 73.59 Population Per Sq. Mile: 46.53 Per Capita Income (2016): $35,552 Per Capita Income (2016): $32,892 Median Income (2016): $50,185 Median Income (2016): $46,706 Unemployment Rate (2016): 4.7 Unemployment Rate (2016): 5.9 Table 1 - Clay County Quick Facts Table 4 - Sullivan County Quick Facts 6 West Central Indiana Economic Development District Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Vermillion County conglomerate and coal. This bedrock was formed during the Pennsylvania County Seat: Newport Period of the era. Largest City: Clinton Square Miles: 256.90 The Wabash River, one of the region’s and Indiana’s richest natural Population (2010): 16,212 resources, runs through four of the District’s counties (Vermillion, Parke, Population (2016): 15,645 Vigo and Sullivan). Renewed interested in the river has led to development Population Per Sq. Mile: 60.90 of the 2,600 acre Wabashiki Fish & Wild Life Area and many river related Per Capita Income (2016): $36,743 projects in Terre Haute and Vigo County. Median Income (2016): $51,425 Unemployment Rate (2016): 6.6 Reserves of industrial minerals such as sand, gravel and clay, while not used Table 5 - Vermillion County Quick Facts to the extent they once were, are still an important factor in the local economy. For Vigo County instance, after virtually disappearing, the County Seat: Terre Haute manufacturing of clay brick has made a strong Largest City: Terre Haute comeback in the past several years with Square Miles: 403.30 manufacturing facilities being built and operated Population (2010): 107,848 in Clay, Sullivan and Vigo Counties. Population (2016): 107,931 Population Per Sq. Mile: 267.62 The District is rich in agricultural and timber resources. The agricultural Per Capita Income (2016): $35,457 sector continues to be an important part of the regional economy. The Median Income (2016): $43,560 recent emphasis on alternative/reusable energy has increased market prices Unemployment Rate (2016): 5.4 for crops and has resulted in the establishment of a number of ag-related Table 6 - Vigo County Quick Facts manufacturing operations within the District. Also, the lumber/timber Geography & Natural Resource industry has seen significant growth over the past several years as domestic demand has remained fairly strong. However, the real driver in the growth The District, which is also known as Economic Growth Region 7, of this sector has been the increased demand for raw hardwood timber and encompasses 2,390.0 square miles or 1,529,600 acres. Topography varies lumber in China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Europe. from overflow river bottoms to steep rolling uplands. Soils range from coarse to moderately fine textured parent material on moraines to till and The District has an abundance of natural resources which are important to outwash plains. The District’s geology is made up of weathered bedrock the national energy supply including large amounts of recoverable coal, that was laid down by water, ice and wind during the geological age known natural gas, water supplies and reserves of crude oil. The recent boom in as the Paleozoic Era. Bedrock in Putnam and eastern Parke counties U.S. oil production has increased interest in local crude oil reserves. Large contains beds of shale, sandstone, limestone and gypsum. This bedrock was deposits of recoverable coal through surface and deep mining exists in all formed during the Mississippi Period of the era. Bedrock in the remainder areas of the District, except Putnam County. Though the coal industry has of the District contains beds of shale, mudstone, sandstone, limestone, historically played a significant role in the District’s economy, it has experienced a significant decline during the past two decades. This decline 7 West Central Indiana Economic Development District Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy has accelerated recently because of new regulatory requirements and an opportunities for young and old to learn more about the historical abundant supply of natural gas. However, the coal reserves and an significance of these places. abundant water supply have combined to make the District the home for several generating plants in the District including: Duke Energy’s Cayuga In 2016, the Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department added the new plant in Vermillion County and Hoosier Energy’s, Merom Generating Station, 300 acre full spectrum Griffin Bike Park which offers in Sullivan County. a progressive 18 mile trail experience to all types and level of riders. The Park was recognized by Cultural & Recreational Resources Indiana Governor’s as an “Official Bicentennial Legacy Project” and hosts casual riders as well as The District as a whole has an abundant amount of indoor and outdoor professional biking events. Vigo County is also home recreation available for residents and tourists to enjoy. Almost every to the Wabash Valley Sports Center and the Laverne Gibson Championship weekend, residents can take part in many activities around the District, Cross Country Course which regularly hosts national cross country events. from local festivals to visiting State Parks. Activities such as fishing, biking, boating, camping, swimming, hiking and canoeing are available throughout Parke County recently opened the first phase of what will be a county-wide the District at local and state parks including: bicycle trail system. The Covered Bridge Gate Trails Association started an endowment to support recreational trail development in perpetuity within County Name the boundaries of Parke County. The next trail development project will be Clay Chinook State Fishing Area a trail extension from Rosedale north to Big Raccoon Creek. Clay Shakamak State Park Parke Raccoon Lake State Recreation Area Through a public-private partnership known as People Pathways; a volunteer group, the City of Greencastle, and Putnam County are working Parke Turkey Run State Park together to improve quality of life and to develop connections within and Putnam Deer Creek Fish & Wildlife Area between communities by building a multi-use trail system. Major Putnam Lieber State Recreation Area components of the system, which is being built in phases, include the Sullivan Green-Sullivan State Forest DePauw Nature Park Trails, Greencastle-Fillmore Trail and the Vandalia Sullivan Minnehana State Fish & Wildlife Area Trail, which connects Greencastle to Amo in Hendricks County. Like multi- Vigo Green Valley State Fishing Area use trail systems being developed throughout the District and the State, the Vigo Wabashiki State Fish & Wildlife Area hope is to one day connect the main arterials of these systems to an Table 7 - West Central Indiana State Recreational Areas interconnected statewide trail system. In addition to the many recreational outdoor activities, the District offers The District also has rich cultural resources that draw visitors and tourists to residents and visitors access the Ernie Pyle State Historic Site in Dana West Central Indiana, thus contributing to the local economy. Some (Vermillion County) and the Historic Mansfield Roller Mill, Rockville Park and examples of these cultural resources include: Lake, the Historic Bridgeton Mill (Parke County). All of these sites provide 8 West Central Indiana Economic Development District Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy County Resource mortgages began to tighten and lending institutions began to change the Parke Parke Players & Historic Ritz Theater requirements to qualify for loans. However, in 2013 the housing market Putnam Green Center for the Performing Arts – DePauw University began to stabilize with a decrease in foreclosures. Over the past couple of Putnam Putnam County Playhouse years the District has experienced somewhat of a rebound in the housing Sullivan Sullivan Civic Center market. Vigo Community Theater of Terre