Randolph County United outlines grant releases, brownfield push and housing study for 2026

Randolph County United (RCU) executive director Sydney Schurezny delivered an end-of-year report and a set of priorities for 2026, including releasing several revolving loan fund (RLF) programs and pursuing a $500,000 brownfield grant.

Schurezny said RCU secured state approval to administer a COVID-era RLF through the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) and to release USDA RLF funds with broader local discretion. “We just got approved to have those funds released,” she told the commission, adding RCU has developed application materials and will finalize program criteria with internal committees.

RCU’s Ready 2 reallocation: Schurezny said RCU and the regional steering committee selected three projects for roughly $1 million in reallocations: Monroe Central Schools (a childcare center build-out), Vision Corner (phase 2 and 3) and a Cardinal Greenway trail reconstruction segment. She said the region approved those recommendations on Dec. 2 and the projects now await IEDC pre-commitment letters, expected by the end of the first quarter.

Brownfield grant and asset work: RCU is preparing a $500,000 brownfield grant application that currently includes about 16 parcels (it needs only four to submit). Schurezny said BCA Consulting is reviewing materials and the application should be filed within days of gathering remaining city-level information. The brownfield work aligns with the county’s stated blight remediation objectives.

Housing and economic development planning: Schurezny urged a county-specific housing study to identify what housing types the county needs — from senior living to duplexes — noting prior regional studies are not always actionable locally. She also proposed creating a site-readiness database and expanding business-retention outreach to better match workforce and infrastructure needs with potential employers.

Next steps: RCU will return to present finished application materials and program launch plans; Schurezny said the organization expects to make a public announcement about the OCRA/COVID-era RLF in February and to continue working with county staff on brownfield and blight coordination.

The commission thanked RCU for the work and discussed regional partnerships and the cost-benefit of membership in regional planning organizations.