Valpo Next encourages all to attend a visioning workshop on 2/24, 2/25, or 2/26
“What do you want Valpo to look like in 10, 20 or 30 years?” That’s the big question behind Valpo Next, the community-wide visioning initiative being launched next week in Valparaiso. “This is a chance for the entire community to come together and decide where we want to see our city in the future. Together we want to set goals and decide how to allocate resources. We want to know what people are excited about,” said Matt Evans, longtime Valpo resident and co-chair of the Valpo Next committee. Valpo Next is led by a diverse steering committee of 40+ community volunteers, representing all aspects of the city.
The first step in the visioning process will be three Big Idea Workshops, held Feb. 24, Feb. 25, and Feb. 26. “We hope that everyone will come to a workshop and share their thoughts. The workshops will be upbeat – part presentation, part brainstorm, part small-group discussions. We won’t be lecturing. We’ll be listening. We want to hear ideas both big and small,” said Elizabeth Lynn, Valpo resident and co-chair of Valpo Next.
These ideas will become the basis for the citywide vision plan, a broad blueprint for the community’s future. “We’ve achieved many of the goals we set out to address ten years ago. The idea behind Valpo Next is to outline the future, based on what the community wants to achieve together,” said Mayor Jon Costas. The visioning process will result in a specific plan for the next 20 to 30 years, which may include three “buckets” -- projects, programs, and policies. The plan is expected to be complete by late summer, but it all begins with people, said Costas.
Each workshop will have the same format, so organizers urge everyone to simply choose one that fits your schedule. The sessions will be held:
Feb. 24
5:00-7:00 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson Middle School
1600 Roosevelt Road
(Entry 7 and 8)
Feb. 25
12:00-1:30 p.m.
Grace Chapel
157 Lafayette Street
(Enter north or south, parking at Von Tobel’s)
Feb. 26
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Valparaiso High School
2727 N. Campbell Street
(Entry 9 and 10)
To learn more about the Valpo Next visioning project, visit www.valponext.org or find it on Facebook at “Valpo Next.” You may also call Valparaiso’s Planning Director, Tyler Kent, at 219-462-1161 x. 3331.