Heart of Jasper Uses Downtown Activation Funds to Complete a Long-Awaited Project

Heart of Jasper’s Director, Kate Schwenk, provided a public update on how the organization is utilizing their Downtown Activation funds. HOJ has completed their latest project, providing long-requested public restrooms on the downtown square. Schwenk said that downtown merchants said this had been a conversation about this need for over 40 years. A committee was formed at the beginning of the year to identify potential locations, a plan for maintenance, and budget for completion.

The Central Land Title building was identified as a primary location in an underutilized building, where the back space was rented out by Chocolate Bliss, but the rest of the space remained empty. The committee quickly approved the location and made plans to bring a bathroom to the square in Piano Alley.

The initial quote was approximately $38,000 by Premier Properties, with board member Andy Smith serving as the general contractor and completing much of the work. After some donations, that amount due to Premier Properties dropped to about $31,500. HOJ received a grant from the Dubois County Community Foundation to cover the cost of a security system, installing cameras in the hallways. The doors are on the same locking system as the one used by the Park and Rec Department, so it can be programmed for set hours.

Schwenk said $25,000 in allocated funding received from the Jasper RDA will be used to reimburse Heart of Jasper for some of the expenses related to the project. She also thanked the City and others who donated their time and funding toward the project to make the downtown area more welcoming and accessible to residents and visitors.

For more information on these and other updates, visit jasperindiana.gov or JasperGov-Indiana on Facebook.

- Drew Hasselbring