Speakers to address blight, vacancy at conference

Three featured speakers will address blight and vacancy in historic neighborhoods during the annual Quality of Place Conference.

Richmond Columbian Properties will host the conference April 25 at the William G. Scott House, 204 N. 10th St. Registration opens at 9:30 a.m., with the first session at 10:30 a.m. The event expects to conclude about 2:30 p.m. Tickets, which are $35 and include lunch, are available online.

Carla Bruni, the preservation and resiliency specialist at the Chicago Bungalow Association and lecturer at the School of Art Institute of Chicago, will speak about grassroots efforts to develop Chicago neighborhoods and how art creates engagement in a community.

Michael Hicks, the director of Ball State University’s Institute for Economics and Business, will talk about a perceived housing shortage.

Jake Sipe, the director of the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, will speak about how Community Housing Development Organizations help create affordable housing and raise the quality of life in poverty-stricken neighborhoods.

The conference is a fundraising event to support Richmond Columbian Properties and preservation of the William G. Scott House, which had the heating and air conditioning system in its gallery hall replaced.