Jasper Mayor Dean Vonderheide and Huntingburg Mayor Denny Spinner have released a letter regarding the Mid-States Corridor project.
The mayors worked together and released the following letter about the project’s study on Wednesday afternoon:
“As your local elected officials, we strive each day to make our citizens proud of the communities in which they live, work and raise their families.
Both of our cities have their place in Indiana’s history – Huntingburg with its historic downtown and League Stadium, and Jasper as the wood capitol of the world. In order to broaden our economies, we have continued diversification of local industries, becoming a regional manufacturing center and headquarters for several public and private, domestic and multi-national companies. These employers have remained the heartbeat of our local and regional economies as they provide the jobs and tax revenue which fund, create and maintain our excellent schools, quality healthcare and medical treatment facilities, and enriching cultural and accessible recreational opportunities. Each of these contributes to our unique quality of life we all enjoy in Dubois and surrounding counties.
Currently, the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration are conducting a study of the potential Mid-States Corridor project. The study will explore the highway safety, road congestion, economic development impact, environmental issues, and the costs and benefits that such a major project would entail. To understand the opportunities for our county and region and the impact the Mid-States Corridor could have on our region for generations to come, it is critical that we all get connected with the facts and have appropriate patience with the thorough and deliberate study process currently being conducted by the Mid-States Corridor project team. Any project that has the potential to maintain and grow the competitive advantage of our strong economic base, including manufacturing, retail and agriculture, and provide better access, lower costs and greater speed to national and world markets deserves a serious, thorough and complete study before our communities, region and state decide the most feasible next step.
Our goal as community leaders and citizens is to make certain that each of our residents have a safer, healthier and more prosperous quality of life today and for generations to come. We owe it to our communities to consider all the facts and information regarding the Mid-States Corridor study and all it might mean for our future.
It has been said: ” You can’t do worse by knowing more.” That is why we stand together in support of a thorough and deliberate study of all the potential benefits and impacts of the Mid-States Corridor. We look forward to reviewing the results of the study and working together to maintain a strong Dubois County.”
