Rush County REC Center is a shining example of progress in a small Indiana town

Mar. 31—RUSHVILLE — The work involved with transforming a former retail site in the 1800 block of N. Main Street into a "one stop" community resource to be known as the Rush County REC Center (Recreation, Education and Collaboration) continues at a brisk pace.

The $20 million effort involves the redevelopment of 50,000 square feet left vacant when Walmart unexpectedly announced they were leaving town in 2018.

Plans also call for the construction of an additional 17,000+ square feet on the south side of the existing building which will allow for, among other things, a new indoor swimming pool, gymnasium and related support facilities.

The Daily News spoke with Rush County ECDC Executive Director John McCane, who is also helping lead the REC Center development project, back in February and he shared his thoughts regarding how the project was going.

"Things are going better than anticipated," he said. "We are hopeful that it's going to be complete by the end of the year, but when you get into a project of this size and magnitude you never can say for sure, so it might be as late as spring."

Weddle Brothers Building Group of Bloomington is the firm overseeing the work involved at the former Walmart site and their site superintendent, Logan Turner, concurred with McCane's assessment.

"We've been making steady progress," he said. "We're moving forward and haven't had to deal with many curveballs. John and everyone else involved have been great to work with."

The Rush County REC Center is a project that has been in discussion, on and off, for decades.

In late 2020, the collective vision got new legs when the Rush County Community Foundation received a Large-Scale Community Leadership Grant of $5 million through the seventh phase of Lilly Endowment's Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow initiative.

"The generosity of Lilly Endowment has served as a catalyst to bring together years of local dreams and planning for the benefit of the county and the region," RCCF Executive Director Chris May said following the initial groundbreaking at the site in early September of last year. "The commencement of this redevelopment, renovation, and new construction will do just that."

As previously indicated, the REC Center will meet many of the community's needs. It will house a fitness center, basketball court, walking/running track, indoor pool and daycare center. There will be formal and informal meeting and gathering spaces for the community's use as well.

Additionally, the REC Center will serve as a coordinated hub for multiple service providers.

It will serve as a new, expanded home for the Rushville Public Library. The Rush County Community Assistance food pantry will move into a larger, more welcoming space that will include a teaching kitchen. The Rush County Senior Citizens Center is also expected relocate from its current location at Third and Sexton streets. There will be offices for WIC (Women Infants and Children), ICAP (Interlocal Community Action Program), and the Firefly Children & Family Alliance.

Mayor Mike Pavey said this project will address many of Rush County's most pressing issues including food insecurity; convenient, comprehensive access to social services; and mental and physical health outcomes.

Offering amenities, he continued, will help retain and attract residents, stemming population decline. The REC Center will help fill a gap for affordable, high-quality childcare. The pool and fitness programs will improve overall health. In short, the REC Center will offer positive experiences for everyone, from infants to seniors.

Additional funds for this project have come from the State of Indiana's READI initiative received through the Accelerate Rural Indiana regional coalition, Redevelopment Tax Credits issued by the State of Indiana, the Rushville Public Library, the city of Rushville, Rush County, Diamond Pet Foods, Gleaners Food Bank, the Herdrich family, and the Buchanan Family Foundation. Rush Memorial Hospital is one of the major naming partners for the REC Center.

McCane said that from the beginning of this effort his personal goal was to find the necessary funding to build the new facility with little to no debt service to local taxpayers.

He noted that on Dec. 1, 2020, the project didn't have a penny donated to the cause. Since that time, the $20 million for the construction is in the bank, which includes only 10% of taxpayer debt service, he said.

"With construction costs realized, our next huge task is to work towards the long-term perpetuity of the REC Center," McCane previously stated. "We all realize the importance of continuing costs beyond construction and renovation. Our county is fortunate that Wilma Jo Kile established the Ebert H. and Bessie M. Schroeder Fund at RCCF, which will help to support the sustainability of the REC Center."

Currently, the RCCF is spearheading efforts to raise the monies needed to offset operating and maintenance expenses for years to come.

Steering committee member Gerald Mohr previously said he believes the possibilities the REC Center allow for will be limited only by imagination.

"Collaboration between the partners will lead to creative and innovative opportunities to serve every citizen of the Rush County community. The REC Center will improve overall well-being and continue to transform Rush County for decades to come," Mohr said.

Mayor Pavey said he is excited to see this project finally getting off the ground.

"This represents a huge quality of life issue for anybody who might be considering either staying or moving to this area," he said. "Hopefully, it is the crown jewel that allows everyone to see that Rushville has turned the corner and is moving into the future."

About the Rush County Community Foundation

The Rush County Community Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit public charity established to serve donors, award grants and scholarships, and provide leadership to enrich and enhance the quality of life in Rush County, Indiana, not only today, but for future generations.

About Lilly Endowment, Inc.

Lilly Endowment, Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company.

Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location.

In keeping with the founders' wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its founders' hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

About READI

Launched by Gov. Holcomb and led by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, READI encourages regional collaboration and data-driven, long-term planning that will attract and retain talent in Indiana. The $500 million READI fund was passed by legislation during the 2021 session and was divided among 17 regions.

Through READI, 17 regions across the state that represent all 92 counties are moving forward with projects and programs designed to enhance Indiana's regions for current and future generations of Hoosiers.

Collectively, the state's $500 million investment is expected to yield an additional $12 billion public, private and nonprofit dollars invested (19.72:1 investment leverage ratio) in enhancing Indiana's quality of life, quality of place and quality of opportunity.

During the 2023 legislative session, the Indiana General Assembly passed an additional $500 million for READI 2.0.

About Accelerate Rural Indiana

Accelerate Rural Indiana is a coalition of Batesville, Greensburg, Rushville and Shelbyville along with Decatur, Rush and Shelby counties, formed in 2021 to pursue Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) funding.

ARI was awarded $20 million in READI funds, the highest per-capita READI award in the state. Collectively, ARI's $20 million READI award is expected to attract nearly $500 million in public, private and nonprofit dollars to the region.

ARI recently formed a Regional Development Authority (RDA) to administer ARI's current READI funds, seek additional READI funding, and pursue additional regionally impactful projects.

(Portions of this story were taken from articles previously published by the Daily News.)

Kevin Green: kevin.green@greensburgdailynews.com or 812-651-0885.