Jasper Mayor Dean Vonderheide on City's Housing Issues, Downtown Waterline Project

Jasper - In a Thursday interview, Jasper Mayor Dean Vonderheide highlighted the ongoing response to area housing shortages and the current state of the Downtown Revitalization Project.

On the bright side, Jasper, and Dubois County as a whole, is growing. The downside, Jasper Mayor Dean Vonderheide says, is figuring out how to keep up with demand as a community.

"I've been extremely shocked that we haven't made more progress on housing, but, I think what's happened is that the demand for housing in the area has increased substantially over where it was," Vonderheide said. "The plans that were there that were put out by Radius and Dubois Strong with their housing studies, I think that we are surpassing those plans. But at the same time, there wasn't the projection for the increased demand as people move from metropolitan areas into a safer, quality of life area like a Jasper, Indiana."

Though there may be light at the end of the tunnel. 

With the ongoing construction of townhouses at the Old Jasper Library location and Park Place Estates rolling out more units, Vonderheide says that there are more apartment options coming in the near future.

"We have, downtown, the Stewart Hotel which is being converted into apartments," Vonderheide said. "Of course we just added at the River Centre, and they're full. Every apartment complex that has been added in the city, as I understand, is booked. It's full."

Additionally, University Heights, near the Vincennes University Jasper Campus, as a private entity, will accommodate students as well as those in the workforce. There is also a "new, old" development in the works, Vonderheide says.

"They should be starting construction on that [University Heights] at any time," Vonderheide said. "Last night, we talked about a new development - a "New, old" development - the old Camelot which has been bought by the Kersteins. They're planning on converting those old hotels rooms to efficiency apartments."

Vonderheide also mentioned the addition of Vine Street and The Lofts the possibility of converting abandoned factories into new downtown housing. 

City owned properties are also being taken into consideration for residential development, though Vonderheide says, they'll need to find an available contractor to pair with.

"We're trying to figure out what we can do to make those available for residential units..." Vonderheide said. "One of the things you find out is that our local contractors are booked, they're booked for two and a half, three years out."

"Our housing need is real and it's now," Vonderheide added.

More plans are in the works for single-unit, standalone housing in the near future.

"Autumn Creek III is just about complete, which is just off 34th and Reyling Drive on the north side of town," Vonderheide said. "There are some units yet to be built but they've really come along quite well. It's condominium living as well as single-family residencies."

Lots are being bought up quickly in another development, Vonderheide says.

"Brookstone VII was just opened up and their selling lots out there as quickly as they can. I think this past month we had four or five permits just for that development."

The city is also in talks with landowners both in and adjacent to city limits which may be incorporated. Mayor Vonderheide did not rule out expansion in any direction.

Waterline Project

Construction crews made their way into downtown Jasper earlier this week ahead of the Downtown Revitalization Project. The first step in the plan is replacing subsurface water lines. 

"They're in town, they've been doing their markings in the street so they know where their cuts are," Vonderheide said. "I think they're supposed to be starting their cuts today.

The time has come for a replacement, Vonderheide says.

"They're dated water lines. Many of them have been in, we assume, for close to 100 years - there were no really good records at that time. It's time for replacement. We have had some fractures in the line in the past couple of years. One of them was last year right before Strassenfest, which really scared me. I thought we were going to have a mess downtown for that."

The waterline project, the first step in the Revitalization, is expected to be completed by July 4th. Upon completion, crews will begin work on the Northeast Quadrant on the Downtown Square.

For the latest on the waterline and Downtown Revitalization, click here.