The City of Princeton was selected by the State of Indiana as a Stellar Community Award recipient in 2012 and received $22 million dollars to help make a greater impact in a shorter period. Princeton’s strategic plan included completely renovating downtown facades along the square, Bicentennial Plaza, downtown streetscapes, senior housing cottages and revitalizing the former Princeton movie theatre into a performing arts venue and community center. New businesses have opened and the community is experiencing success because of the State’s award.
In 2015, Indiana’s Regional Cities Initiative selected Indiana’s Great Southwest to receive $42 million dollars for quality of place projects focused on attracting and retaining talent to the region. One project in Gibson County will receive $3 million dollars for a mixed-use retail/University housing project. Oakland City University, a private four-year university that is growing and in the need of additional student housing, will build a mixed use project that will contain 25% retail space with second and third floor suite style housing for residential students while helping to revitalize the City’s downtown.