Business View Civil and Municipal | February 2021

63 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL FEBRUARY 2021 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology as part of Advantage Shelby County to provide programs for high school graduates. They started with four curriculum paths, including advanced robotics, and now have 17. And they’ve raised their post secondary numbers by nine per cent in four years. To close the gap in early learning, they brought in early learning specialists and are creating a facility with a mixed daycare and preschool. Another barrier to growth for the city was a lack of housing stock – that issue is being addressed with almost 1,000 new single family homes being added in the next three to five years. The population has boomed so much that DeBaun thinks the city may commission a special census. He relates, “Our city has been fortunate to watch other parts in Indiana grow and learn from their mistakes. We’ve become pretty strategic in our comprehensive planning and our land use mapping, so we’ve been able to do a good job of determining where those things are best suited and planning for the future. We’ve done a lot of work in planning where public infrastructure should go and making sure we have capacity to handle that growth, so that it’s orderly and were not caught unprepared.” The city has also invested in green initiatives with solar panels on almost every municipal building to offset electric costs, methane gas collection to power generators, UV water treatment, energy efficient LED street lights, and more. All of these measures have helped the city gain businesses that are expanding and new foreign direct investment from Japan, Germany, and now Canada with Greenleaf Foods Ltd. That company in the vegan and vegetarian market is starting a $40 million project to build their North American headquarters in Shelbyville, which will create 600 jobs in a 300,000 sq ft facility. Looking to the future, DeBaun hopes to stick to the comprehensive plan and ensure that IMPROVINGHEALTH in our community At MHP everything we do is centered around providing the best possible care to our patients and our community. With state-of-the-art technology, highly trained physicians and a dedicated staff... exceptional care is always close to home. SHELBYVILLE, INDIANA www. my MHP.org Set your sights on Shelby County where you will find opportunities for business, family and your future! www.shelbydevelopment.com 16 Public Square, Suite A Shelbyville, IN 46176 317.398.8903 SHELBYV I LLE , INDI ANA