By Dan McGowan
Writer/Reporter, Inside Indiana Business

EVANSVILLE — Kick-off celebrations will take place Monday, Dec. 21, and Tuesday, Dec. 22, to honor the three regions chosen for the inaugural Regional Cities Initiative.

Governor Mike Pence and leaders fromNorth Central, Northeast and Southwest Indiana will host events to mark the $126 million program designed to boost economic development and quality of life.

The program has received such a positive response, Governor Pence, the Indiana Economic Development Corp. and the Regional Cities Strategic Review Committee detailed plans to fully fund three regions for the program instead of the two initially announced. If the General Assembly works out funding, three regions will receive $42 million.

Pence will be at an event Monday at the Evansville Regional Airport, followed by kickoffs in Elkhart and Fort Wayne Tuesday. In all, proposals from the three winning regions are planning projects valued at a total of $2.5 billion.

The state says the program will help the regions market themselves on a global stage. A total of seven regions submitted proposals. As part of the program, IEDC says the four regions not selected as winners will also receive support. As a result the IEDC could help Central, East Central, Northwest and West Central Indiana identify public or private funding to encourage and boost development of regional plans and projects.