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Business groups and KEDCO urge Kosciusko County to back downtown parking garage; commissioners encumber $75,000
Summary
KEDCO, Orthoworks, Main Street Warsaw and the Kosciusko Chamber presented economic arguments for a downtown parking garage and requested $75,000 in special project funds; commissioners approved encumbering the funds to support NEI commitments and housing predevelopment.
Representatives from KEDCO, Orthoworks, Main Street Warsaw and the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce told Kosciusko County commissioners on Dec. 16 that a proposed downtown parking garage is a strategic economic investment that would unlock outside funding and support multiple downtown development projects.
Peggy (KEDCO) framed the garage as “basic economic infrastructure,” saying limited parking reduces customer turnover, discourages new tenants and constrains downtown growth. She told commissioners the project could leverage roughly $5 million in ORE (Orthopedic Retention and Expansion) dollars and an additional $2–3 million from the city of Warsaw, funding the structure and related improvements.
Ryan Christian of Orthoworks and Terry Sweeney of Main Street Warsaw described how the garage would support workforce retention and downtown investment, citing projects such as Union Station Lofts and Millworks that they say depend on increased parking capacity. Rob Parker of the Chamber emphasized the county’s role as a major downtown property owner and said the garage would function as an incentive for private investment.
KEDCO Director Dawn Wilkinson requested encumbering $75,000 in special project funds from the county budget — $25,000 for a 2026 NEI commitment and $50,000 for housing predevelopment assistance in smaller communities. Commissioners approved the encumbrance on a motion.
Presenters and commissioners said the funding is intended to leverage additional public and private dollars; several speakers warned that available external funding could be lost if the county declines to participate. The motion approved routing the requested special project funds to KEDCO so work on downtown projects and housing predevelopment can proceed.
Next steps identified by presenters include design, partner agreements with the city and pursuing committed ORE/NEI funds; county staff will encumber the funds and coordinate contract details with KEDCO.
