Milwaukee Depot Rendering
Historical Background & Critical Points Timeline
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Bedford: Stellar Foundation,
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Population
1980 2015 % Change Race/ethnicity, 2014 (%) White Black Other Poverty (%) 1980 2014a % Change Median household income 1980b 2014 % Change Educational Attainment (4 yr) College degree (Pct. of Pop. 25+) 1980 2014 % Change |
Bedford
14,410 13,347 -8.0% 95.4% 0.6% 4.0% 10.3 21.9 +112.6% $37,493 $35,126 -3.4% 5.5% 12.2% +121.8% |
Lawrence County
42,836 45,495 +6.2% 97.0% 0.4% 2.6% 8.9 14.0 +57.3 $42,394 $44,553 +5.1% 6.7% 9.6% +43.3% |
Indiana
5,490,224 6,619,680 +20.6% 84.4% 9.1% 6.5% 9.7 15.5 +59.8% $47,974 $48,737 +1.6% 7.2% 28.1% +290.3% |
Source: 1970 Census of Population, PC(1)-C1 "General Social and Economic Characteristics", Table 182. 1980 Census of Population, PC80-1-C1 "General Social and Economic Characteristics", table 245.U.S. Census Bureau, Census 1980 Summary Files 1 and 3. U.S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey Table S1702. U.S. Census Bureau: State and County QuickFacts, 2016. Data derived from Population Estimates, American Community Survey, Census of Population and Housing, State and County Housing Unit Estimates, County Business Patterns, Nonemployer Statistics, Economic Census, Survey of Business Owners, Building Permits. STATS Indiana, using data from Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau. Minnesota Population Center. National Historical Geographic Information System: Version 2.0. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota 2011.
a. Poverty figures for 2012 were the most recent data estimations from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2010-2014 Table S1701 estimations provided for the specific geographic area.
b. The Median Household dollar amounts reported for 1980 are values that have been converted to constant 2014 dollars according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index Inflation Calculator, available at www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm.
a. Poverty figures for 2012 were the most recent data estimations from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2010-2014 Table S1701 estimations provided for the specific geographic area.
b. The Median Household dollar amounts reported for 1980 are values that have been converted to constant 2014 dollars according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index Inflation Calculator, available at www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm.
Housing Opportunities and Quality of Life
Bedford witnessed a transformation over the past decade in its housing stock and infrastructure. Issues of aging, dilapidated housing and infrastructure, including the maintenance of older and historic homes have been a rising concern for city officials and residents. The majority of the city’s 6,428 housing units (69%) were built prior to 1970 and approximately 32% were constructed before 1939. Dilapidated structures tended to be found in economically depressed neighborhoods within or near the core of a city (City of Bedford Comprehensive Plan, 2010). As a result of an older housing stock, Bedford must address issues of housing maintenance and repair, as well as the necessity to adapt structures to the needs of modern life. Since the homes are mature, they require maintenance costs that are not always feasible for homeowners with limited income streams. For instance, the study indicated “Many residents find themselves financially unable to cope with the burden of the upkeep on their homes, allowing the structure to fall into disrepair.” Based on age and condition of its housing stock, Bedford officials sought assistance in maintaining the character of their neighborhoods.
Community leaders were also worried about current and future housing opportunities for its senior populations. According to the most recent US American Community Survey, estimates 19.5% of the population is over the age of 65. Most senior households reside in single-family homes, and housing maintenance may become a challenge. Further transportation to and from health and other supportive services, such as meal programs, community hospitals, senior centers, even doctors’ offices and other primary care, is not readily available.
The quality of life and place also trouble city stakeholders, notably higher obesity rates and overall health of citizens. Lawrence County, including Bedford, ranks in the third tier of County Health Rankings and 29% of residents is overweight or obese. Furthermore, the city officials also sought to enhance the quality of life for all Bedford residents and to improving these statistics by supporting and establishing new avenues of healthy recreation, such as walking and bicycling trails.
In response to issues stemming from housing and quality of place, Bedford city leaders sought opportunities. City leaders sought out ways to link housing to community-based services, maintaining the character of their neighborhoods, enhance the quality of life for Bedford residents, and to improving obesity and health statistics. Beginning in 2005, city officials, along with the funding provided by the Indiana Housing Community Development Authority implemented an owner-occupied housing improvement program. City officials also began to support the establishment of new avenues of healthy recreation, such as walking and bicycling trails, in its planning efforts to preserve and enhance the Bedford Park System strongly. This support is evident it goals and strategies outlined in the City Comprehensive Plan (2009), Downtown Redevelopment Plan (2012), and Strategic Community Investment Plan (2013).
Bedford witnessed a transformation over the past decade in its housing stock and infrastructure. Issues of aging, dilapidated housing and infrastructure, including the maintenance of older and historic homes have been a rising concern for city officials and residents. The majority of the city’s 6,428 housing units (69%) were built prior to 1970 and approximately 32% were constructed before 1939. Dilapidated structures tended to be found in economically depressed neighborhoods within or near the core of a city (City of Bedford Comprehensive Plan, 2010). As a result of an older housing stock, Bedford must address issues of housing maintenance and repair, as well as the necessity to adapt structures to the needs of modern life. Since the homes are mature, they require maintenance costs that are not always feasible for homeowners with limited income streams. For instance, the study indicated “Many residents find themselves financially unable to cope with the burden of the upkeep on their homes, allowing the structure to fall into disrepair.” Based on age and condition of its housing stock, Bedford officials sought assistance in maintaining the character of their neighborhoods.
Community leaders were also worried about current and future housing opportunities for its senior populations. According to the most recent US American Community Survey, estimates 19.5% of the population is over the age of 65. Most senior households reside in single-family homes, and housing maintenance may become a challenge. Further transportation to and from health and other supportive services, such as meal programs, community hospitals, senior centers, even doctors’ offices and other primary care, is not readily available.
The quality of life and place also trouble city stakeholders, notably higher obesity rates and overall health of citizens. Lawrence County, including Bedford, ranks in the third tier of County Health Rankings and 29% of residents is overweight or obese. Furthermore, the city officials also sought to enhance the quality of life for all Bedford residents and to improving these statistics by supporting and establishing new avenues of healthy recreation, such as walking and bicycling trails.
In response to issues stemming from housing and quality of place, Bedford city leaders sought opportunities. City leaders sought out ways to link housing to community-based services, maintaining the character of their neighborhoods, enhance the quality of life for Bedford residents, and to improving obesity and health statistics. Beginning in 2005, city officials, along with the funding provided by the Indiana Housing Community Development Authority implemented an owner-occupied housing improvement program. City officials also began to support the establishment of new avenues of healthy recreation, such as walking and bicycling trails, in its planning efforts to preserve and enhance the Bedford Park System strongly. This support is evident it goals and strategies outlined in the City Comprehensive Plan (2009), Downtown Redevelopment Plan (2012), and Strategic Community Investment Plan (2013).
Community Economic Development and Transportation
Bedford has been susceptible to income decline and low educational attainment since 1980. Bedford officials and residents expressed concerns about declining workforce development and educational attainment of its younger population. As the educational level goes up, median income also rises and vice versa. In 2000, the highest level of schooling for 40.6% of the Bedford population 25 years and older was a high school diploma. In contrast, 27.7% of the Bedford population 25 years and older had a college degree (Associate degree or higher). By 2012, this trend remained relatively the same. Approximately 38.5% of the city population 25 years and older obtained a high school diploma. In contrast, the state had 25.2% (2000) and 28.2% (2012) of the population 25 years and older with a high school diploma.
Employment and the increase of economic opportunities for job creation were of high importance to Bedford and Lawrence County officials. According to data provided by Stats Indiana (2014), Lawrence County ranked 26th in the highest unemployment rate in Indiana at 9.7%. In comparison, Bedford’s annual unemployment rate is 5.7% (US Census Bureau – ACS 2008- 2012). Between 1980 and 2012, the city’s median household income decreased by 7%, in comparison to Lawrence County and Indiana. Bedford, along with other rural cities across the country, was hit hard by the Great Recession. Visteon Corp. closed its plant in 2008, a year after Dana Corporation shut down operations in the nearby city of Mitchell. The departure of both operations diminished over 1,300 jobs and resulted in General Motors aluminum die-casting plant as the city’s only major survivor of Bedford’s once thriving auto-parts industry. The economic downturn presented the city and county with the severe challenge of meeting the scope and scale of employment needs among its residents.
“Bedford was hit hard by the recession and had some big losses.”
The city also suffered from the decline in its downtown business district over the past three decades. This decrease created challenges of business retention and attraction. Prior to the 1960s, the downtown area was the center of commerce. With the advancement of retail shopping centers and big-box retail, the downtown area began to decline slowly. The downtown area was plagued with vacant buildings. A 2012 land use survey of the downtown indicated that of the 137 commercial and industrial buildings in downtown Bedford, 36 were vacant (Downtown Plan, 2013). That is 26.2% of the buildings. Also, the city faced downtown traffic problems. There is one main thoroughfare throughout the downtown, US 50. The US 50 highway carries over 14,000 vehicles per day, including 600 commercial vehicles, which contribute to traffic congestion throughout downtown Bedford.
City and County officials, worried about the economic future of the region, felt it critical to take action to implement a cohesive strategy. With leadership from regional stakeholders such as Radius Indiana, city and county leaders began working to provide ways in which Bedford’s youth and workforce could obtain the skills they need to acquire and retain employment. To this end, their strategy was three-fold: 1) provide opportunities to attract businesses and job development and build upon Bedford’s limestone, manufacturing, and defense industries, 2) improve availability and usage of secondary and post-secondary educational services offered in Bedford, and 3) encourage revitalization of Downtown Bedford, including aesthetically-pleasing gateways into the city.
“Things were not very progressive. There was a lack of vision. There had been many changes, not all necessarily positive.”
Bedford has been susceptible to income decline and low educational attainment since 1980. Bedford officials and residents expressed concerns about declining workforce development and educational attainment of its younger population. As the educational level goes up, median income also rises and vice versa. In 2000, the highest level of schooling for 40.6% of the Bedford population 25 years and older was a high school diploma. In contrast, 27.7% of the Bedford population 25 years and older had a college degree (Associate degree or higher). By 2012, this trend remained relatively the same. Approximately 38.5% of the city population 25 years and older obtained a high school diploma. In contrast, the state had 25.2% (2000) and 28.2% (2012) of the population 25 years and older with a high school diploma.
Employment and the increase of economic opportunities for job creation were of high importance to Bedford and Lawrence County officials. According to data provided by Stats Indiana (2014), Lawrence County ranked 26th in the highest unemployment rate in Indiana at 9.7%. In comparison, Bedford’s annual unemployment rate is 5.7% (US Census Bureau – ACS 2008- 2012). Between 1980 and 2012, the city’s median household income decreased by 7%, in comparison to Lawrence County and Indiana. Bedford, along with other rural cities across the country, was hit hard by the Great Recession. Visteon Corp. closed its plant in 2008, a year after Dana Corporation shut down operations in the nearby city of Mitchell. The departure of both operations diminished over 1,300 jobs and resulted in General Motors aluminum die-casting plant as the city’s only major survivor of Bedford’s once thriving auto-parts industry. The economic downturn presented the city and county with the severe challenge of meeting the scope and scale of employment needs among its residents.
“Bedford was hit hard by the recession and had some big losses.”
The city also suffered from the decline in its downtown business district over the past three decades. This decrease created challenges of business retention and attraction. Prior to the 1960s, the downtown area was the center of commerce. With the advancement of retail shopping centers and big-box retail, the downtown area began to decline slowly. The downtown area was plagued with vacant buildings. A 2012 land use survey of the downtown indicated that of the 137 commercial and industrial buildings in downtown Bedford, 36 were vacant (Downtown Plan, 2013). That is 26.2% of the buildings. Also, the city faced downtown traffic problems. There is one main thoroughfare throughout the downtown, US 50. The US 50 highway carries over 14,000 vehicles per day, including 600 commercial vehicles, which contribute to traffic congestion throughout downtown Bedford.
City and County officials, worried about the economic future of the region, felt it critical to take action to implement a cohesive strategy. With leadership from regional stakeholders such as Radius Indiana, city and county leaders began working to provide ways in which Bedford’s youth and workforce could obtain the skills they need to acquire and retain employment. To this end, their strategy was three-fold: 1) provide opportunities to attract businesses and job development and build upon Bedford’s limestone, manufacturing, and defense industries, 2) improve availability and usage of secondary and post-secondary educational services offered in Bedford, and 3) encourage revitalization of Downtown Bedford, including aesthetically-pleasing gateways into the city.
“Things were not very progressive. There was a lack of vision. There had been many changes, not all necessarily positive.”
