Syracuse and Silver Lake have been named in a series of grants totaling nearly $11 million, distributed amongst rural Hoosier communities. Photo from Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.

News Release

INDIANAPOLIS — The Office of Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs today announced 15 rural communities will receive more than $10.8 million in federal grant funding to expand community facilities, improve water infrastructure and eliminate blight — including the local communities of Syracuse and Silver Lake.

“These grants improve daily life in rural Indiana and create more opportunities for Hoosiers,” Beckwith said. “Congratulations to the local leaders of these communities. Your work supports small businesses, creates jobs, and strengthens our state’s economy.”

The Town of Syracuse is awarded $700,000 to improve its water utility infrastructure system along Huntington Street and adjacent side streets. The water improvement project will replace the undersized and deteriorating water supply lines and gooseneck connections. This will increase treatment capacity, improve the system’s efficiency and fire protection capabilities, and eliminate health risks.

The Town of Silver Lake is awarded $750,000 to construct a new community center, which will serve as a social and recreational hub through planned activities and programs. The community center will improve the quality of life for the residents and help ensure the town’s long-term viability.

OCRA distributes Community Development Block Grant funds to rural communities, which assist units of local government with various community projects such as infrastructure improvement, downtown revitalization, public facilities and economic development. Other Indiana communities named in the grants include Auburn, Birdseye, Bloomingdale, Cloverdale, Cynthiana, Elwood, Logansport, Michigantown, Montpelier, Otterbein, St. Joe, and Thorntown.

“It is great to see so many towns, cities and counties using the resources at their disposal to better their residents’ quality of life,” OCRA Executive Director Fred Glynn said. “Congratulations to the leaders in each of these communities. Your hard work does not go unnoticed and will have a lasting positive impact in your community.”

Funding for OCRA’s CDBG programs originates from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program and is administered for the State of Indiana by OCRA. For more information, visit in.gov/ocra/cdbg.