Civil and Municipal - Jan 2024

manufactures high-quality automobile seats and safety units for Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA) in neighboring Lafayette, and other manufacturers in Frankfort produce kitchen cabinets, brick, lumber, and agricultural implements, among other items. Frankfort’s Downtown Historical District is filled with many notable and restored buildings, including the Clinton County Courthouse at 50 North Jackson St., which was built between 1882 and 1884, and is listed on National Register of Historic Places. In 2016, the city promulgated its Downtown Revitalization Plan, a ten-year operating manifesto with a goal to upgrade infrastructure, attract entrepreneurs and new business expansions, create downtown housing, and recruit new shops, restaurants, and small businesses to the area. In addition, two local organizations work with the city to keep downtown growing and vibrant. “We have a great relationship with the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce and Frankfort Main Street. Both very busy bringing businesses in and keeping them here,” says Mayor Judy Sheets. “They’re always thinking of new programs and things that we can do.” URBAN GREENSPACES THROUGHOUT Frankfort is also a city of parks. Its newest one, Prairie Creek Park, is a $10 million development located in the heart of downtown. A two-acre urban greenspace, the park serves as a catalyst for development in the downtown area, while also serving as an active green space to the newly constructed Nickel Plate Flats, an adjacent, private market-rate housing development. The park also features the Encompass Credit Union Event Center, a community event and meeting venue; the Farmers Bank Performance Center Stage, which hosts Movies in the Park, and the city’s Summer Concert Series; and a new playground with a play structures and a splash pad. Another park in Frankfort is the 88-acre TPA Park, which houses a Petting Zoo and Indiana’s largest Aviary and is home to the city’s yearly Festival of Lights. “The Festival of Lights at TPA Park has over a million lights and hundreds of different displays that they add to every year,” says Kimberly Black, Frankfort’s Community Development & Outreach Director. “Some people walk, but nine out of ten 137 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 01 FRANKFORT, IN