Town of Dillsboro Seeking Federal Funding to Build Permanent Stage

Public input is being sought through an online survey and an upcoming public meeting.

Sketch from 2017 Revitalization Plan. Photo provided.

(Dillsboro, Ind.) – The Town of Dillsboro is asking the public to complete a survey to help secure federal funding for a permanent stage in Dillsboro.

Members of the Dillsboro Civic Club approached the Town of Dillsboro in April requesting to form a committee focused on constructing a permanent stage in Dillsboro. The stage would be used to host the Homecoming Festival, summer concert series, Dillsboro Arts Jazz Festival, and other performances throughout the year.

The Civic Club offered to put $100,000 towards construction of the project and help pay for engineering fees, while Town Council and the Park Board agreed to appoint representatives to serve on the committee for implementation. The committee has since been working to develop design criteria and accepted proposals from engineers to complete the design.

By the end of May, Curry & Associates were under contract and have been meeting with the committee to develop engineered plans and cost estimates to support the Indiana DNR Land and Water Conservation Fund grant application.

The grant program is a matching assistance program that provides grants up to 50 percent of the cost of the acquisition and/or development of outdoor recreation sites and facilities. Since the program began, Indiana has received approximately $90 million in federal funds.

Applicants may request amounts ranging from a minimum of $250,000 up to a maximum of $1 million.

As the committee works to secure funding, the public is encouraged to complete a survey at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdtPGzRQBTEv0DGKFFABCcGvu3cOcROU9__fV7VSqKuMsNmhA/viewform?usp=sf_link.

A public input meeting is also scheduled for Wednesday, July 24 at Dillsboro Town Hall starting at 6:00 p.m.

The intent of the meeting is to go over preliminary plans and gather public feedback to assess the need for the project.

Talks about a permanent stage in Dillsboro go back to November 2016 when a steering committee was established to create a downtown revitalization plan. Part of the plan recommended a new central gathering space in an open green park to attract new businesses to the downtown.

The idea resurfaced in 2022 in the Park Board’s 5-Year Master Plan.

Town officials say the proposed space would have the infrastructure to support events such as farmer’s markets, festivals, movies in the park, and celebrations.