“Growing Together…Planning Together” was the theme of the October 24th big event held at Hoagland’s Quixote Hills Reception Hall, where NewAllen Alliance board and community members presented their strategic plan. The following communities all played a key role: Grabill, Harlan, Hoagland, Leo-Cedarville, Monroeville, New Haven, and Woodburn.
Churubusco-based Sturtz Public Management Group led the effort. NewAllen Alliance was fortunate enough to receive a grant from the Allen County-Fort Wayne Capital Improvement Board to pay for the in-depth plan. The process required input from over 800 individuals and took a year to comprise.
Kent Castleman is the president of NewAllen Alliance. “We were very excited to see the turnout of elected officials, county department officials and other partners in economic development along with residents from the communities who are genuinely interested in the plan. It says a lot for how they view the positive momentum we have going for East Allen County.”
The goals revealed last night were very specific to each community but one of the main themes throughout each community was branding and a marketing effort for their community. Another key goal echoed throughout the night was improving quality of life.
“As we look to play our part in attracting people to the county and region, it is important that our communities come up with plans to attract those who might want a more rural or small town feel to their community. Not everyone wants to live in a downtown urban setting and our communities offer that alternative.” Castleman said.
Also, at the event, Castleman announced the launch of the group’s website, which details the entire plan. The website’s address is http://www.newallenalliance.net/.
“One of our tasks in the process was to create a place where we can communicate our plans and share our successes. The website is full of information about the organization, the plans and our programs we offer. We will start using the news portion of the site soon to showcase projects going on in the communities of East Allen County.”
