INNOVATE INDIANA

METRONET EXTENSION
Project Plan
MARQUEE PROJECT IV | SECTION 6
Project champions include Mary Jan Hedman, CEO, St. Joe Valley Metronet; Barkley Garrett,
Director of Economic Development at the City of Elkhart; and Jerry Chavez, Executive
Director of the Marshall County Economic Development Corporation.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE REGION ENGAGED CURRENT TRENDS
Elkhart County project partners include City of Elkhart, City of Goshen, Elkhart County
Economic Development Corporation, Elkhart County regional higher education institutions,
private businesses and non-profit entities.
Marshall County project partners include City of Plymouth, Plymouth Redevelopment, Town of
Culver, Culver Redevelopment Commission, Marshall County, Ancilla College, Culver Academies,
Town of Bourbon, Bourbon Redevelopment, Town of Bremen, Bremen Redevelopment,
Marshall County Economic Development Corporation, Metronet, Indiana Small Business
Development Center and private sector businesses.
All capital expenditures for both Elkhart
and Marshall County phases will occur
within the first two years of the project, and
will include: 1.) Design and engineering,
2.) Permitting fees, 3.) Installation of the
conduit and all associated infrastructure
(i.e. handholds), 4.) Installation of the
fiber through the conduit and 5.) Splicing
and interconnections with existing
fiber networks.
The Elkhart County Metronet project will
commence immediately and includes the
following: 1.) Invite feedback from Project
Partners, 2.) Conduct an Engineering and
Market Study, 3.) Decide on final route
and expansion plan, 4.) Explore capital
contributors, 5.) Develop the Request for
Proposal (RFP), 6.) Install conduit to house
fiber, 7.) Install fiber through conduit, and 8.)
Connect organizations.
The Marshall County Metronet project
schedule includes the following: 1.) Market
project to businesses or organizations that
may benefit from Metronet (as was done
in the first Metronet project), 2.) Plan the
extension route to the communities including
the towns of Culver, Bourbon, Argos and
Bremen, and Ancilla College, 3.) Plan the route
within the individual communities, 4.) Develop
engineering plans and obtain necessary
permits, 5.) Explore capital contributors,
6). Develop RFP, 7.) Install conduit to house
fiber, 8.) Install fiber through conduit, and
9.) Connect organizations.
METRONET EXTENSION
DESCRIPTION
Conduit & Fiber
(Marshall County
–-Loop Configuration)
Conduit & Fiber
(Elkhart County)
TOTAL INVESTMENT: $11.27
INVESTMENT TIMEFRAME
$7.39 2016
$3.88 2016
REGIONALCITIESOFNORTHERNINDIANA.ORG |
95
STATE OF THE REGION
& QUALITY OF PLACE
VISION & STRATEGY
PROJECTS
STAKEHOLDERS, EXECUTION
& STRUCTURAL CHANGES
BENCHMARKING
& MEASUREMENT
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT