As a high school student, Evansville was the place where my friends, family, and I would visit on a regular basis to shop, eat, catch a movie, and enjoy the many amenities our community has to offer. Evansville had more and therefore attracted us as well as many others from the Tri-State to spend time and money in the community. However, it wasn’t the total quality of the city that brought us here. I remember Main Street being pedestrian only, our downtown resembled a ghost town too often, and the city lacked an identity that resonated with those who didn’t reside within city limits. To me, city-wide planning and development seemed haphazard rather than strategic and well thought out.

Over the many years since my high school days, the City of Evansville has seen tremendous growth and redevelopment that is helping it shape into a thriving community. Evansville is now beginning to position itself as a premier community that will attract and retain young professionals and their families. Quality of life has been raised significantly from days long ago, and many of the past, more recent, and upcoming developments - the rehabilitation of The Centre (now Old National Events Plaza), expansion of Mesker Zoo w/ Amazonia, The Ford Center, the Doubletree Convention Hotel, a new, land-based Tropicana Casino, the Medical Campus, the new Deaconess Clinic Downtown, and Deaconess Aquatics Facility next to Bosse Field - are greatly increasing the speed at which we are seeing return on our public investments.

The time is now for Evansville to look to our community’s future and ensure the positive momentum continues forward. I’m willing to work with our city councilors and the city administration to see that we stay focused on the future. This requires bringing community leaders, stakeholders, all levels and offices of local government, and our neighborhood associations together to aid in charting a course for unprecedented growth in community and economic development.

As your next 3rd Ward City Councilor, I will work diligently and proactively to ensure the city administration has our ward and the city’s best interest at hand. It is imperative that we put politics aside and work together to build a stronger Evansville that better attracts and retains talent and provides more opportunity for our families, friends, and neighbors.

Zac Heronemus speaks with members of Laborers Local 561 on-site where upgrades to the Garvin Park section of the Greenway Trail is being finished.