VIDEO: One Dearborn County Team Delivers Stellar Final Presentation

The One Dearborn County Stellar Pathways initiative is about reinvesting in our communities.

INDIANAPOLIS - The One Dearborn County Stellar Pathways team traveled to the Indiana State Government Center on Tuesday to present the stories and plans for reinvestment in Greendale, Dillsboro, and Bright.

The Stellar Pathways program is a multi-year, multi-million-dollar initiative led by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. The program works with communities in a self-determined region on a shared vision for community and economic development, promotes local and regional partnerships, and assists in implementing sustainable solutions to challenges Indiana’s rural communities face.

One Dearborn County was selected as one of four finalists for the 2024 cycle of Stellar Pathways this past May. Utilizing a $50,000 planning grant, as well as a $5,000 planning contribution from the Dearborn Community Foundation, the planning team worked with community members and individuals across the county to create the One Dearborn County Strategic Investment Plan. The plan is now published and available for reading at www.1dearborn.org/stellar.

Dearborn County envisions itself as a vibrant and prosperous gateway into Southeast Indiana, leveraging its prime location within the greater metropolitan region to drive community growth and elevate quality of life. By building upon and preserving our core assets—pristine rural landscapes, thriving outdoor recreation, and the charm of our small, historic downtowns—we strive to create a welcoming and flourishing environment for residents, visitors, and businesses alike. Our vision includes:

1. Maximizing Our Strategic Location: We will enhance our role as a gateway between Cincinnati and northern Kentucky into and out of Indiana, fostering thoughtful development, promoting infill and revitalization, and supporting sustainable rural growth in western Dearborn County.
2. Expanding Outdoor Recreation: With our breathtaking hilltops, landscapes, and rivers as natural assets, we will invest in amenities, extensive trails, and park enhancements to support these assets, positioning our region as a premier destination for outdoor enthusiasts and a retreat to simpler living.
3. Preserving and Enhancing Community Charm: Our vibrant riverfront cities and peaceful rural towns offer a distinctive way of life. We will focus on placemaking and historic preservation in our downtowns to ensure our communities remain attractive, vibrant, and desirable places to live, work, and visit.

To achieve the region’s full potential, One Dearborn County identified “Big 8 Drivers” which are the actions, strategies, and projects that would improve quality of life and economic development in the region.

Those drivers are infrastructure, housing, parks and trails, downtown development, tourism and culture, economic fundamentals, people and services, and U.S. 50 and transportation.

During the evaluation of area needs, the Stellar Committee found that Stellar Pathways funding closely aligned with three drivers in particular: housing, parks & trails, and downtown development.

The transformational investments proposed for Stellar Pathways include revitalization of Greendale’s southern Ridge Avenue neighborhood, a renaissance for Dillsboro’s downtown, enhancements and gathering spaces at Bright Meadows Park, downtown infill housing, new senior housing, community health workers, historic preservation, and a thriving local food system.

The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs is expected to announce the Stellar Pathways designees in January 2025.

For more information, visit Economic development for Dearborn County, Indiana, near Cincinnati, Ohio | 1 Dearborn Indiana Economic Development.