Heart of Jasper and ROJAC Merger

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(Jasper, Indiana) – The City of Jasper announces the merge between ROJAC and Heart of Jasper. The Redevelop Old Jasper Action Coalition (ROJAC) has been active the past 20+ years in converting the Patoka River front area properties into valuable assets the community residents and visitors come to enjoy. Dave Buehler initiated and then Mayor Bill Schmitt leveraged ROJAC as an economic development change agent for the community. The term that Board Members of ROJAC had been asked to serve was for 3 years. It’s important to note this is an all-volunteer organization. It became apparent that many of the ROJAC members had been there from the beginning and though their enthusiasm hadn’t waned, their energy levels had been buffered by age and the pursuit of other life priorities. This type of economic development for the downtown area was vital for the long-term and a strategy to extend the value ROJAC provided wasn’t apparent. Planning and Development Director, Darla Blazey, and Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Nancy Eckerle, suggested looking into the formation of a Main Street Organization which focuses on the economic development in a community downtown. We investigated Indiana Main Street organizations templates and standards and came to the conclusion this would be a great opportunity to form the Heart of Jasper Main Street Organization and, if successful, the ROJAC organization may be merged at a later date. The thoughts regarding the future merger of ROJAC and the HOJ were shared 3 years ago and a rough timeline was set to move forward with the merger after the 20th Anniversary of ROJAC. Heart of Jasper is a nonprofit organization that aims to create the best small-town experience for all in downtown Jasper. It hosts events, promotes local businesses, & transforms historic assets through creative programs and collaborative leadership. The mission of Heart of Jasper is to create the epicenter of activity for the community by leveraging existing assets, transforming those in need, and instilling new energy. Kate Schwenk serves as the Director for the Heart of Jasper and has been doing so on a part-time basis. Kate’s office is located in the City Office Building to facilitate communication and collaboration with the various municipal departments. The two organizations established the March 21 Member Appreciation Event as the date we would announce a project that the two organizations would support. This announcement would then lead to the transition of membership and leadership into the Heart of Jasper. Past ROJAC projects included: · Jasper Depot—2004 · Schaeffer Barn—2006 · Spirit of Jasper Train—2009 · Jasper City Mill—2009 · German American Boulevard—2013 · Labyrinth—2016 · River Centre—2020 · Thyen-Clark Cultural Center—2021 · Alexander Schoolhouse—2021 Some of the endeavors of Heart of Jasper include: · Host Various Events activating the downtown · Small Business Development Opportunities for new businesses. · Actively promoted the filling of Vacant Buildings · Business Recruitment and Growth · 50/50 cost share administration of the Façade Improvement Programs. · Love Your Community Clean Up Days · Historic Preservation Today we’ve identified a project that has been presented to these organizations by citizens who’ve come forward with the same enthusiasm and energy that was displayed 20 years ago when ROJAC was created. ROJAC members have been invited to participate in the Heart of Jasper organization committee structure with their talent and time and to support the on-going development of the HOJ area through their financial contributions. All future meetings and project initiatives will be coming from the HOJ. Visit heartofjasper.org to see how you can support the organization that will continue the ROJAC mission.