State of the City: Lawrenceburg Poised for Success

The mayor gave his State of the City Address on Friday afternoon.

City of Lawrenceburg Mayor Kelly Mollaun during his 2022 State of the City Address. Photo by Travis Thayer, Eagle Country 99.3.

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - Lawrenceburg is a "City on the Rise." 

That has been the message from Mayor Kelly Mollaun since he took office in 2016. During his annual State of the City Address on Friday afternoon at the Lawrenceburg Event Center, the mayor said, "we would have never guessed our vision would be as far along as it is today." 

Mollaun spoke for about 20 minutes, recapping the year of 2021 and sharing his vision for the year of 2022. 

"The City of Lawrenceburg is community dedicated to improving the lives of our residents with a focus on education, economic development and quality of life, the same three pillars that I've been focused on since 2016 when I first became mayor," said Mollaun "While tri-state metropolitan cities often take center stage, smaller cities such as Lawrenceburg have a culture of vibrancy and uniqueness all of our own. We always want Maintain our smalltown feel, but with big city amenities." 

Before Mayor Mollaun got too far into his speech, he recognized Bill Cunningham and Don Combs, two former Lawrenceburg mayors that recently passed, stating that their years of service to the city have helped Lawrenceburg grow into what it is today. 

There were many accomplishments to celebrate in 2021. Among them was the adoption of a new comprehensive plan. 

The comprehensive plan was created with the assistance of HWC Engineering, in addition to public input through a series of online workshops, public surveys, and open houses. The focus areas for further development moving forward includes the downtown riverfront, U.S. 50 corridor, and Ludlow Hill. 

Some of the goals of the city is better utilization of the riverfront, and more affordable, senior, and owner-occupied homes. 

RELATEDCity of Lawrenceburg Adopts New Comprehensive Plan

The city received $564,000 from American Rescue Plan in 2021. The federal funding was used to assist residents and businesses. Over 50 small businesses received grants to help them continue to grow in the wake of COVID-19, and $260,000 was used for a utility assistance plan. The city also passed out small stipends for city employees. 

In 2021, the City of Lawrenceburg awarded 29 new business licenses, including eight in the downtown area. 

An estimated 60,000 people attended approximately 100 premier events last year, including Music on the River, Taste of Summer, Whiskey City Challenge, Summer Fest, Fall Music Fest, Winter Wonderland and more. The emphasis with such events is to bring foot traffic to downtown shops and restaurants. 

"For a city our size, it is quite the feat to have that many events and pull that off," Mollaun said. 

Other highlights from 2021 include

  • Finishing Phase I of the Old State Road 48 slide project; Phase II expected to be completed in 2022. 
  • Finished final stage of fiber installation.
  • Continued to upgrade data center on Front Street. 
  • Civic Park wins awards
  • Complete renovation of the Lawrenceburg Community Center
  • $740K investment in Arch Street Park replacement
  • Celebrated the five-year anniversary of the Bike Share Program

So, what does the City of Lawrenceburg have in store for an encore in 2022?

One of the primary objectives is the complete overhaul of the docks and riverfront area at the end of Walnut Street. There will be more space, more restaurant opportunities on the water, ease of access, and overall attraction for boaters, pedestrians and visitors. 

The city hopes to share concepts for the project very soon. 

It has been a longtime coming, but the Whiskey River Apartments is expected to have residents move in as soon as April 25. Pre-move-in leases are currently exceeding expectations, having reached around the 30 percent occupancy mark. Mayor Mollaun says the apartment complex will bring an additional 200 to 250 people to downtown. 

The CARE Initiative will continue moving forward in 2022. There are plans for a recovery hub on Industrial Drive to offer help for community members battled substance abuse. Community Mental Health has agreed to manage the building. 

Other plans for 2022 include: 

  • Revamping the recycling program
  • Creating walkable entrances to Ludlow Hill for nearby residents
  • Improvements to Tanners Creek boat docks
  • Improvements to the Skate Park at the old Durbin Plaza

"The city is committed to always improving quality of life for our residents and for our visitors. Lawrenceburg is financially strong, we are poised for success, and your elected officials are working together in continued cohesiveness," Mollaun concluded. 

The mayor's full speech, presented by NOW Broadcasting, can be viewed below.

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