CORYDON, Ind. — The southern Indiana community of Corydon was one of 11 grant recipients from the Place Based Investment Fund (PBIF) through the Indiana Office of Tourism Development and Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.

"I commend the initiative taken by the leadership in these 11 communities in determining the best opportunities for local placemaking projects," said Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann. "The Place Based Investment Fund rewards creativity, ingenuity and collaboration, and the end results will benefit local communities and citizens to come."

Corydon, Evansville, Fountain City, Greenfield, Lafayette, North Manchester, Orleans, Peru, Rushville, Washington and Winona Lake will each receive grant funds ranging from $25,000-$50,000 to fund parks, public venues and other quality of place projects.

Corydon will receive $50,000 to help turn a vacant building into a year-round farmers’ market. Catherine Turcotte of Main Street Corydon said the total budget for the project is $300,000. Along with the state grant, Main Street has received a $50,000 Harrison County Community Foundation matching grant, a $25,000 Harrison County government matching grant and a $10,000 Harrison County Farm Bureau gift.

The project is a collaborative effort of Main Street Corydon, the Harrison County Community Foundation, Harrison County government, Harrison County Economic Development Corp., Michelle Timperman Ritz Architects and Purdue University extension in Harrison County.

"The mission of the Fred Cammack Corydon Farmers Market is to celebrate and support our local growers and artisans through a market that provides income for vendors, excellent goods for customers to a gathering place for the community," Turcotte said.

Open every Friday from 4-7 p.m., the market currently is in a parking lot at 123 S. Mulberry and boasts nearly 30 vendors of fresh produce and hand-crafted merchandise. Turcotte said about 200-300 shoppers visit every week.

The building being renovated was constructed as a grocery store. It found new life with extension, and most recently was used as a county annex. The county sold the building to Main Street for $1 in January. The vacant building will receive structural updates – including overhead doors to create the "open-air" market, windows, fans and furnishings.

Turcotte said Main Street is the lead organization on the building revitalization, and the goal is to have the market open for business next spring.

The PBIF program, now in its third year, is a $500,000 competitive matching grant administered as a partnership between IOTD and OCRA; both are agencies within the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. The grant program supports community and economic development projects across the state. Initiatives that promote quality of life, improve tourism experiences and develop multipurpose gathering places are specifically targeted for the grant.