15 years ago, Elkhart, Indiana had one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.
Due to tough times in the RV industry, the city was in dire straits as city leaders looked for ways to solidify their tax base. Through hard work and creative thinking, Elkhart has been able to stop the bleeding from the economic downturn experiences in 2009.
“We know quality of place and quality of life brings a sense of relationship to our community and it has been established with our population growth,” said Elkhart Mayor Rod Roberson to Inside Indiana Business.
The growth has been small. US Census Bureau data shows that Elkhart’s population has grown just 1-percent between 2000 and 2023. But, Roberson is optimistic that Elkhart will soon bustle even more thanks to investments he and the city have made in quality of place.
He said he has followed the trends of other cities throughout the state in attracting more people to live there.
“Before you looked for the big companies to invest in your city and bring lots of jobs to shore up your tax base,” he said. “Nowadays companies really follow the places that have good quality of place, quality of life.”
The city has poured many public dollars into renovating the old ELCO Theater in the city’s downtown area to attract shows and concertgoers. They’ve also invested in a new 6,000-seat outdoor amphitheater.
This was also bolstered by the surprising boom in the RV industry, which has a heavy presence in Elkhart, during COVID which saw demand for RVs go up due to people being sent home from work or school because of the pandemic.
Roberson said even though the growth is small at the moment, he is taking an ‘If you build it, they will come’ approach to planning for the future of Elkhart.
2 comments
Quality of place Yeh, right! As Cassoppolis street is continually restricted at the Toll Road for some foolish decorations that most people don;t see until they are past the exit. No one stops here just to visit. They always have a reason, family, lodgings, or restaurants AND Notre Dame Football. There never seems to be enough workers at the site. Will this area be restricted all winter? Why did the lane restriction start south of the stop light at the street that leads into Menard’s? why couldn’t it be placed a few feet on the north side of that intersection so people turning into the Menard’s area could turn left. A temporary right turn only lane could have been established. Then some dunce allowed Chick-Fil-A to establish a single property south of CR 6. CR 6 and Cass is probably one of the busiest intersection in the whole county. That area will be a permanent restriction after the place opens. Certainly people in the know have tried to visit a Chick-Fil-A restaurant in other busy places. That restaurant should have gone where the closed theater is. Lots of room. Cross street with a stop light. So don’t try to tell me that Elkhart is a wonderful place. It is not. Too much traffic and too little work around routes. I’d leave in a heartbeat but I can’t afford to do so. Get the job done on Cass at the toll road before you start some other feckless project. How much is that project costing? How much is from a federal grant? How much has it cost area residents in time and wasted gas because of the restrictions?
Nobody has ever relocated because a city had really nice decorations over a bridge by the toll road.
NOBODY.