08/29/2017
The Downtown Revitalization Plan for Hope, Indiana was approved by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) on August 16, 2017. A collection of community ideas to guide the activation and revitalization of the Hope Town Square, the ten-year plan is an adaptable, living document that responds to changing conditions. It establishes strategies and ideas that can be incrementally pursued as opportunities develop over time.
The plan's recommendations are a combination of policy, programs and capital investment. Successful revitalization is continuous, but incremental, and should adapt to opportunities and constraints that are difficult to predict and control over the life of the plan. Therefore the recommendations and choices presented in the plan are expected to be periodically adjusted and fine-tuned as they move forward into implementation.
Achieving revitalization that is sustainable and appropriate for Hope is based on guiding principles and their objectives. They can be summarized as follows:
- Celebrate Hope's heritage and values.
- Focus on the Town Square to make it more effective and sustainable.
- Invest in district safety, connectivity and streetscape enhancement.
- Repopulate downtown with residents and employers, and increase the number of visitors.