Niles, Buchanan team up for economic prosperity

NILES, Mich. (WNDU) - Niles and Buchanan are working together to increase economic prosperity in the area.

People gathered at the YMCA of Greater Michiana Wednesday night for a kickoff town hall on a five-year strategic plan.

A community advisory committee is working on the plan, but wants the public’s input too.

“The advisory group, some of the leaders that we originally worked with, said we think bringing leaders together would be excellent for collaboration in identifying ways we can improve,” said Andrew Wiand, Executive Director of enFocus INC.

People talked about visions, priorities and challenges affecting both communities.

They also brought up things like workforce development and housing.

“These are challenges, these are barriers and these are things we would like to see in our communities over the next few years. We’ll be able to take that information...two to three different themes that we can then build some plans around over the next coming months,” said Wiand.

The town hall was hosted by enFocus, in collaboration with the Greater Niles Chamber of Commerce and the Buchanan Area Chamber of Commerce.

“Niles and Buchanan are really on the cusp of some really great big things here, and to be able to have their expertise and direction in helping to define what the challenges are in the community as we grow, and how we might persistently revisit and tackle those issues over the course of several years,” said Ryan Boeskool, Executive Director of the Greater Niles Chamber of Commerce.

If you are interested in providing feedback on the plan, you can participate in a public input survey.

They hope to have an action plan ready in about a year.

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