Education, Quality of Life, Economic Development Continue to Drive Growth in Lawrenceburg

Friday, February 17, 2023 at 2:47 PM

Mayor Kelly Mollaun gave his State of the City address on Friday.

Lawrenceburg Mayor Kelly Mollaun delivered his 2023 State of the City address on Friday. Photo by Travis Thayer, Eagle Country 99.3.

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - Education, quality of life, and economic development.

Those are the three pillars that have defined Kelly Mollaun's time as Mayor of Lawrenceburg.

In his State of the City address on Friday at the Lawrenceburg Event Center, Mayor Mollaun stated that those three pillars will remain the centerpiece of growth for the City of Lawrenceburg.

“I have a vision for the City of Lawrenceburg that will allow us to be sustainable for today and beyond. I Googled the definition for vision, and this is what I found. It’s the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom. That vision is becoming a reality with every year of successful planning here in the city.”

In terms of highlights from 2022, Mayor Mollaun touched on how the city came out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the lifting of the State of Emergency from Governor Holcomb in March of 2022, Mayor Mollaun thought Lawrenceburg came out of the pandemic better than some other communities throughout the state.

Some of the things Lawrenceburg was able to do to help residents and businesses during the pandemic included free utility months, and grants for small businesses.

On the education front, Mollaun lauded monetary resources to Lawrenceburg Community School, which helped put two resource officers in each of the four school buildings to enhance safety for students and staff.

And economic development is strong as storefronts continue to fill up in Lawrenceburg.

Ten new businesses opened in 2022, and another five have already opened their doors early in 2023. Over the last three years, the City of Lawrenceburg has welcomed 26 new businesses.

The Whiskey River Apartments opened in April of 2022. According to Mayor Mollaun, the apartment building currently has a 95 percent occupancy rate, which has brought 200-plus people to downtown Lawrenceburg.

The city has made it a top priority to seek construction of additional senior housing and affordable housing in 2023.

Visitors to the Lawrenceburg Community Center have noticed upgrades to the facility. Improvements centered on new signage, new entry desk, enhanced computer lab, painting and new flooring throughout facility, new furniture, premier gaming hub and equipment, updated classrooms, meeting spaces and restrooms, Dance Revolution machine, and updated café.

Additional work will take place in 2023 to give the outside entrance an uplift to make the Community Center more welcoming.

Lawrenceburg Municipal Utilities upgraded their tech in 2022, which is expected to help with more reliable service. The city is currently in the process of replacing electric and water meters.

Other work done in 2022 included installation of security cameras throughout the city.

Looking ahead to 2023, Lawrenceburg will once again play host to over 100 community events. Some of the big events returning in 2023 include Lawrenceburg Fall Music Fest, Whiskey City Summer Fest, Whiskey City Challenge, Taste of Summer, Music on the River, Community Cookout, and Winter Wonderland activities.

Last December, city council approved a motion for the city to enter an agreement with altafiber, to purchase the Lawrenceburg Broadband Communications' broadband infrastructure. altafiber, formerly known as Cincinnati Bell, will pay $3 million to acquire Lawrenceburg's fiber ring and any additional fiber inventory. The company will pay $2.7 million at closing on February 23 with the remaining $300,000 in retention coming at the end of transition.

Mayor Mollaun said the transition will start in March. The partnership with altafiber is expected to bring better service, higher speeds and lower costs to customers.

Other projects mentioned by Mayor Mollaun include pedestrian access to Ludlow Hill Park for nearby residents, crosswalk improvements in downtown Lawrenceburg, Liberty Theater revitalization, and riverfront and trail development.

The Lawrenceburg Redevelopment Commission voted unanimously last February to approve a purchase agreement for the Liberty Theater. Since then, the city has entered a development agreement with Dan McCabe to be the future owner and operator of the theater, which will be used as a multi-genre event space.

The plan is to open the Liberty Theater in the first quarter of 2024.

Past administrations have tried but nothing has ever come to fruition in terms of riverfront development. In 2023, the city plans to investigate improvements along the Ohio River, which would include two floating restaurants, 15 boat slips, a large boat slip for boat cruises, and easier access to the riverfront.

"The Lawrenceburg Riverfront Development Project is a project that we feel is a long-awaited quality of life and economic development project for the future of Lawrenceburg," said Mollaun.

In addition, new seating and lighting could be added along the Dearborn Trail.

Mayor Mollaun stated that under his administration, the city has always sought grant money to fund projects. Since 2016, the city has been awarded $6.4 million, including $1.2 million in 2022.

Another development that is taking place in 2023 is the construction of the St. Elizabeth Cancer Center. While not exclusive to Lawrenceburg, the city did commit $5 million to the center, which will be located on Flossie Drive in Greendale - but will serve all of southeastern Indiana.

Mayor Mollaun's full State of the City address can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsocDl7hRWg.