A Small Town Rooted in Big Opportunities

Exploring downtown revitalization and infrastructure as solutions to economic development

 

Tipton, Indiana, is a community full of economic ambition, carefully growing while honoring its charming small-town roots.

With a historic downtown serving as the city’s heart, Tipton is focused on driving growth through investments in infrastructure, business development, and quality-of-life enhancements.

The rationale is simple: Tipton aims to be a destination that people want to visit and live, making it somewhere businesses need to be located.

Downtown revitalization is central to Tipton’s economic strategy. “The biggest focus of my administration is going to be downtown. Our downtown serves as the most valuable economic hub and investing here will send ripple effects throughout our residential, commercial, and industrial spaces,” says Mayor Kegan Schmicker.

Tipton is cultivating an environment that encourages commerce and community engagement by restoring second-story spaces for residential use and enhancing walkability through trail expansions and urban green spaces.

To support this, a marketing campaign, Rooted in Opportunities, amplifies Tipton’s appeal by promoting its retail, dining, and recreational offerings. This effort is designed to attract visitors, investors, and future homeowners alike.

Simultaneously, Tipton is pursuing residential developments to meet the growing demand for diverse housing options, ensuring that Tipton remains an attractive choice for professionals, families, and retirees.

Tipton is not just keeping pace with change but shaping its future.  With momentum building, bold plans in motion, and the leadership of Mayor Schmicker and his team, Tipton’s future will undoubtedly be bright.

Cultivating the Core of Tipton’s Revitalization Strategy

Downtown Tipton is the heart of the community. It boasts a classic courthouse square surrounded by historic buildings, small businesses, and an expanding list of retailers and restaurants.

The businesses in Tipton are now doing a fantastic job attracting visitors, and the city is giving people more reasons to stay and live there.

Tipton’s strategy involves organically fostering a stronger economic ecosystem by encouraging residents to live downtown. This strategy creates natural opportunities for residents to walk to shops, dine locally, and contribute to Tipton’s economic vitality simply by residing downtown.

“We’re seeing both younger and older demographics who value downtown living for its accessibility and walkability. This density will create a more vibrant downtown for all to enjoy,” Mayor Schmicker clarifies.

According to Holly Horton of Horton’s Home and Garden, one of Tipton’s longest-standing family-owned downtown businesses, small businesses have not had much marketing support over the years, so the newly launched Rooted in Opportunities campaign—designed specifically for that purpose—comes as a breath of fresh air.

“The city is prioritizing marketing of Tipton, and that’s not only investing in the small business in our downtown, but it’s also going to help our schools, our hospital, and the general community and help entice people and their families to make Tipton their home,” Horton explains.

This initiative, coupled with infrastructure upgrades, is expected to create a city-wide economic ripple effect and is just the first step in a list of initiatives that will put Tipton in the optimal position to grow.

Strengthening Industrial Growth and Harnessing Technology

A city’s future depends on its infrastructure, and Tipton is making strategic investments to modernize its roads, utilities, and stormwater management systems.

Unlike many cities facing challenges with lead pipes, Tipton has remained ahead of the curve by maintaining high water quality standards and replacing outdated systems before they become a problem.

One of Tipton’s biggest challenges, however, is stormwater management. “Our biggest enemy seems to be water and how we mitigate it as it comes in. So, many of our construction projects are based on how to capture and control it as it comes from the clouds and hits the ground,” Mayor Schmicker explains.

Given the city’s geography—originally a swamp—flood mitigation has been a top priority. Mayor Schmicker’s administration has intentionally leveraged grant funding to improve drainage, ensuring that residential and commercial areas remain resilient against heavy rains.

In addition, Tipton is focusing on expanding pedestrian infrastructure. The city has completed the second phase of its trail network and is implementing an urban trail connecting downtown to this system.

“We’re working on another reconstruction scheduled for 2028, and it will have a 10-foot wide, multi-use path. If we can connect the city through these investments, we’ll have a network people can use to navigate Tipton safely,” Mayor Schmicker explains.

The overall goal is to create a safer, more walkable city for residents and visitors by integrating sidewalks, bike paths, and pedestrian-friendly roadways built intentionally to separate pedestrians and vehicles.

Walkways and roads aren’t the only things being connected. As remote work becomes more prevalent, the city boasts a fiber-optic network based on investments made by TDS Telecom.

However, the city is not stopping there and is actively exploring options to expand public Wi-Fi access in downtown areas, parks, and community hubs, ensuring Tipton remains attractive to residents and visitors to these spaces.

“We were able to bring public Wi-Fi to our pool and splash pad for the first time in 2024, and we are actively scoping ways to expand those to other park areas,” stated Mayor Schmicker.

Beyond these improvements, Tipton is capitalizing on its prime location and deep agricultural roots. This area of the state already has several notable ag-based companies, such as Corteva, Beck’s Hybrids, Keystone Cooperative, Cargill, Achieva, and Total Seed Production. Mayor Schmicker aims to attract more investments from the agricultural sector into Tipton, fostering support for bio-life sciences, ag-tech, agricultural production, and other developing areas within the industry.

“Agriculture has been a big part of our history and heritage. Now, the question is: how do we embrace the next wave of technological advancements in the industry and become part of that story?” says Mayor Schmicker, noting that the availability of viable commercial spaces will be critical to accomplishing his vision.

But even with the available space, it means nothing if there aren’t enough residents to keep these companies, new or old, thriving and in business.

Like many cities across the country, Tipton faces a housing shortage.

The demand spans the full spectrum—from entry-level apartments to executive-style homes and senior-friendly housing. Recognizing this, the city is working with developers to create housing solutions that cater to all demographics.

Regional Partnerships, Arts, and Tipton’s Future

Tipton’s leadership wants to attract new residents while fostering a stronger sense of community identity, encouraging them to stay and put down permanent roots.

Through initiatives like a successful downtown flower program and partnerships with local businesses like Horton’s Home and Garden, the city is focused on beautification efforts that create inviting public spaces.

“We want visitors and new residents to immediately feel that Tipton is a clean, welcoming, and vibrant place,” Mayor Schmicker says. These efforts, combined with continued investment in parks, trails, and recreational facilities, make Tipton an increasingly attractive place to live and visit.

A significant new initiative to aid in this is the establishment of the Tipton Arts Commission.

Recognizing the economic and cultural benefits of a thriving arts scene, the city supports local artists and creative industries. Inspired by successful models in cities like Madison, Indiana, Tipton aims to integrate the arts into its economic development strategy.

“We believe that a strong arts presence can enhance our community’s identity and contribute to economic impact,” Mayor Schmicker says, explaining that the city is working to create a more vibrant and dynamic community experience through public art installations, events, and cultural programming.

Collaboration is at the core of Tipton’s growth strategy. Mayor Schmicker is actively building relationships with neighboring cities, and private sector partners to drive regional economic development.

The intent here is to encourage Tipton residents to become their community’s champions, advocates, and marketers. However, this is still only half of the picture, as the other half of Tipton’s expansion involves support from both private and public sector partnerships.

“There’s a strong push for regionalism in Indiana, and we are making sure Tipton is part of that conversation,” says Mayor Schmicker. By learning from other municipalities and forming strategic alliances, Tipton is positioning itself as a key player in the state’s broader economic landscape.

Tipton is at an exciting juncture, balancing its historic charm with forward-thinking growth strategies.

With a commitment to infrastructure investment, downtown revitalization, economic expansion, and community engagement, the city is laying the foundation for long-term success.

As Tipton continues to evolve, its leadership remains dedicated to fostering a strong sense of unity and pride through strategic planning, regional collaboration, and grassroots engagement.

For those seeking a city that blends tradition with innovation, Tipton is proving to be a place “rooted in opportunities” and ready for the future.

AT A GLANCE

Who: The City of Tipton
What: A growing rural community focused on downtown revitalization, infrastructure investments, and economic expansion.
Where: Located in the heart of Tipton County, Indiana, close to major economic hubs such as Indianapolis and Kokomo.
Through strategic planning, targeted marketing, and infrastructure improvements, Tipton is enhancing its business climate, quality of life, and long-term sustainability.
Website: www.cityoftipton.com