FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): Last night, the Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority voted to approve a proposal asking for funds from the state to grow the region.

The plan, asking for $42 million dollars, has been submitted and made public.  The money would go towards short term and long term projects around the region, such as the Riverfront Development in downtown Fort Wayne.  

“We will be doing a presentation to the review committee in October, it's estimated, and then we hope to hear a decision by the end of the year,” says Courtney Tritch, Vice President of Marketing with the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership.  

She says at the region's current population rate, we're growing 0.7 percent per year, but with this plan it would accelerate to a 2.1-percent growth… putting us on pace to grow to a million residents by 2031.  Near-term projects on this plan include Riverfront Development, a downtown arena and also the Regional Trail Network.