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Wabash Valley Crew pitches boathouse and regatta potential at Fairbanks Park; requests matching funds
Summary
Wabash Valley Crew leaders outlined a plan for a $500,000 boathouse at Fairbanks Park, reported $355,000 in raised funds to date, and asked the CIB to consider matching that amount if a site is secured; the presentation was informational and no board action was taken.
Jack Hill and Jim Owen, co‑founders of Wabash Valley Crew, presented an informational request to the Vigo County Capital Improvement Board seeking public funding support to complete a planned boathouse and regatta infrastructure at Fairbanks Park.
Hill told the board Wabash Valley Crew was founded in 2016 and has built relationships with local schools, the YMCA and regional rowing organizations. He said the group has raised $355,000 to date (including a $150,000 matching grant from the Wabash Valley Community Foundation and additional donations totaling $205,000) toward a detailed boathouse construction estimate of $500,000, leaving an approximate $145,000 gap.
Hill described how similar Midwestern river projects—examples included Rockford, Ill., and Oak Ridge, Tenn.—have produced multi‑day events that attract thousands of participants and generate significant local economic impact. He asked the CIB to consider matching the funds Wabash Valley Crew has raised; he said the organization would accept staged or conditional support and would be willing to enter agreements that include clawback provisions or milestone reporting if requested.
City staff briefed the board that two host-location options were being evaluated (including use of the existing Girl Scout building as a retrofit location) and that staff would try to deliver at least one viable site option to the group by Dec. 31, 2025. Board members repeatedly described the proposal as squarely within the CIB’s mission to support projects that increase tourism and quality of life, and several members encouraged the group to return with more detailed site and construction information once staff confirms a location. No formal action or funding allocation was taken at Tuesday’s meeting.
