Latest news with #ThomasP.MillerandAssociates
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
More on proposed housing study
GREENSBURG – 'We want to take a proactive approach,' Economic Development Corporation of Greensburg/Decatur County Director Bryan Robbins recently said regarding an upcoming housing study that's schedule to get underway in May and be completed by September, 'to try to to attract more builders, more developers, to add to the market and hopefully bring more people to our community.' The local EDC is partnering with the Greensburg City Council, Decatur County Commissioners, Greensburg Mayor's Office, Greensburg Redevelopment Commission and Decatur County Redevelopment Commission on a $40,000 housing study. The study will cover Greensburg and Decatur County and is being conducted by Thomas P. Miller and Associates, an Indianapolis-based consulting firm. A local housing study was conducted in 2019, according to Robbins, but it only covered Greensburg, not all of Decatur County. Robbins said he is not aware of any housing studies conducted in Greensburg or Decatur County prior to 2019, adding that it's possible there were prior studies but 'if there was one, I couldn't find it and [the EDC] was not part of it.' Robbins elaborated on the need to conduct a countywide study, noting that the 2008 recession impacted the housing market nationwide and 'when it did rebound, we found that the assumption was there were more opportunities around larger metro areas.' Robbins noted that Decatur County wasn't getting the population growth it could, 'not because we were lacking jobs – we have plenty of jobs here – we just didn't have the places for people to live,' or the capacity to build and meet the demand due to a lack of developers. 'It's not just Greensburg or Decatur County,' Robbins emphasized, 'it's across the Midwest, particularly rural areas, that are focusing on housing. The last 10 years or so, we've had jobs available, our unemployment rate has been significantly low, historically, because we didn't have the labor force to meet existing needs. We were trying to drill down why that is' and ultimately determining that one issue is housing. While a study was conducted in 2019, Robbins described that effort as 'meager,' explaining, 'we kind of got what we paid for,' as it had a smaller budget than the $40,000 allotted for the upcoming study. 'We wanted a more robust study,' this time, Robbins said. The EDC selected Thomas P. Miller and Associates after contacting multiple firms, explaining what the budget was and what they wanted from this study. The objective of the study is to assess the current housing mix and the affordability in Decatur County, then explore population and housing trends at the local, state and regional level to determine demand, existing needs, and how to meet them. The study will review how fast homes sell, what price they're sold at, and other housing-related data such as age trends and whether Decatur County's average age is trending older or younger. Once the study is complete, Robbins explained, that gives the EDC data to use when working with developers, managing goals and meeting the community's needs. This study is timely, according to Robbins, because 'we're doing this at the same time' Greensburg is working on its comprehensive plan. 'If there is a need for housing, we want to make sure we can incorporate that, in some way, into the comprehensive plan,' he said. The study's methodology will go beyond looking at data and statistics; focus groups will be assembled comprised of Realtors, builders and others who have observations about the housing market. Robbins also shared that surveys involving the general public may also be conducted as part of the study. 'I want to ask that people participate in those surveys,' he said. 'Keep an eye out for those' on the EDC, City of Greensburg or Decatur County social media platforms. Surveys of the public will most likely be conducted online, but Robbins said they will try to have hard copies available, too. 'We encourage people to take part in those and give us feedback. We hope it's going to be a strong report, one we can use for the next four to five years,' he concluded.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EDC approves housing study
The Greensburg-Decatur County Economic Development Board has approved a county-wide housing study to be conducted by Thomas P. Miller and Associates. The study's objective is to find what the housing stock in Decatur County currently looks like, where the gaps are in the market, locally, and determine how to attract the types of housing needed. EDC Director Bryan Robbins noted that the EDC hopes to get the city and county to help cover the cost of the study. Home sales remained flat in January, which Robbins said was because 'it's been a really interesting time in the real estate market.' He believes that as spring approaches, sales will rebound. In other news, the Opportunity Expo will take place Feb. 26. Robbins said there's still room for local businesses interested in participating. Participation is free and is 'a great way to get in front of soon-to-be graduates and people looking for internships,' Robbins said. Businesses interested in participating should contact the EDC office at 812-222-2520. The Opportunities yearbook is complete and will be available to schools soon. The yearbook highlights businesses in Decatur County and what skills one needs for a career there. The yearbook's purpose is to give local students a chance to see what career opportunities exist in Decatur County. The board also reviewed goals for 2025, which include increasing the EDC's visibility in the community. 'We want people to be able to identify our organization,' Robbins explained. 'People sometimes don't understand what the EDC does. We want to do a better job of explaining that to the public, what our strategy and goals are as an organization.' EDC Project Coordinator Emma Luttel will be helping with that goal via social media outreach, according to Robbins. The EDC also wants to increase its contact with local businesses, working on expansion and retention efforts. They're also planning to collaborate with the GDC Chamber of Commerce to create a pathway for businesses that want to expand into or open in Decatur County. Robbins said there have been issues 'with businesses not knowing exactly what they need to do permitting-wise,' to open; the EDC wants 'to make it as clear as possible what needs to be done' and has been working on this for the past year and a half to create what Robbins described as 'a map of how to do business in Decatur County.' The organization's other major goal for the year is continuing outreach to secondary education institutions to strengthen relationships with colleges, universities and training facilities, increasing Decatur County's presence while building a connection between local industries, small businesses and classrooms to ensure area students know what opportunities exist locally.
