(KENDALLVILLE) - Indiana Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch announced Thursday that Kendallville will receive $600,000 for its downtown streetscape project.

Kendallville Mayor Suzanne Handshoe says she is ecstatic. She says the much needed improvements to the City's infrastructure will at long last be addressed.

Handshoe says the goal of making the downtown a destination point has many facets and the new and improved streetscape will be an essential element of this.

Building improvements through facade grants, the ever-growing number of family-friendly downtown activities, the parklet experience, “The Alley” cultural space renovation, as well a planned pocket park near City Hall will all serve to breathe new life into the historical downtown district.

The project replaces sidewalks, curbs, and lights along three downtown blocks to eliminate blight, improve safety and enrich the overall quality of life within the community.

Kendallville was one of seventeen rural Indiana communities sharing in a total of $10 million in infrastructure grants.