Indiana city seeks donations toward downtown plaza project

DECATUR, Ind. (AP) - A small city in northeastern Indiana is seeking some help from the public to build a new downtown plaza.

Designs for Decatur's Madison Street Plaza Project include new streetlights, benches and landscaping centered around decorative concrete pavers replacing what is now an asphalt street. The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette reports an anchor system for tents and a sound system are also planned for the plaza that could be closed to traffic for community events.

The online campaign aims to raise $50,000 in contributions by Sept. 22 to qualify for a $50,000 state matching grant for the 9,000-person city about 20 miles southeast of Fort Wayne.

Decatur's project is expected to cost $560,000, and the campaign is designed to help complete funding.

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Information from: The Journal Gazette, http://www.journalgazette.net