CAMP ATTERBURY: HOPING BUT NOT EXPECTING (1-2003)

Could it be that Edinburgh might finally catch a break? Or 
is the rumor of Camp Atterbury’s reactivation as the 
training center for Homeland Security just another pipe 
dream?

For decades Edinburgh has experienced virtually zero growth 
in population. Although there have been many new homes 
constructed, the overall population has remained fairly 
constant as older neighborhoods, once clogged with 
children, are now occupied only by aging parents. The kids 
have moved away.

The school population has also fluctuated between 950 and 
1,000 students for some time. Twenty or thirty years ago, 
there were more than 1300 students.

When Camp Atterbury was built in 1942, and until after the 
end of World War 2, Edinburgh became a boom town. 
Unfortunately, that is also how it acquired its seedy 
reputation. Every other business establishment downtown was 
a tavern.

That need not happen again if Camp Atterbury is 
reactivated. There is a town ordinance prohibiting the 
establishment of new bars in the business district. And 
town leaders can learn a lot from history. Although there 
is the danger of overdevelopment if growth happens too 
rapidly, the benefits of growth will still overshadow most 
of the possible drawbacks.

It is estimated that a reactivated Camp Atterbury may bring 
as many as 20,000 new residents to the area. Of course, not 
all of them would choose to live in Edinburgh or Blue River 
Township. Still, a good number of them will, especially if 
the town plans its development around the influx of people.

Several thousand new residents would certainly revitalize 
Edinburgh’s economy and pump adrenaline into the town’s 
business district. Shops could then afford to remain open 
on Sundays or later into the evenings. And the larger tax 
base pumped up by the building of new homes would mean the 
possibility of more services to the community.

But it hasn’t happened yet. And it may never. 

Rep. Mike Pence has indicated that Camp Atterbury may be on 
the short list of possible sites to locate the Homeland 
Security training center. It is the largest training 
facility east of the Mississippi River. But there is no 
official word from any government department or official.  
So it remains just a rumor, albeit a rumor that is 
supported by some bona fide circumstantial evidence.

But even if Camp Atterbury does make the “short list,” the 
fact that there is a list at all implies that there will be 
other possible locations. No one yet knows how short the 
short list will be. And it is certainly best not to start 
counting those proverbial chickens prior to their hatching.

Edinburgh has been left out before. There have been some 
“sure things” in the past that would have spurred 
Edinburgh’s economy but never materialized, including a new 
development at the I-65 interchange in the ‘70s, a large 
new manufacturing plant in the ‘80s, and a new housing 
development at Highway 252 and U.S. 31 in the ‘90s. 

Even the current Edinburgh Outlet Center might not have 
been built had the Town Council not compromised on its 
planned annexation of the land. But that compromise has 
cost the town 15 year’s worth of property taxes.

So, although it’s nice to speculate and even to dream, one 
must be cautious about celebrating too soon. There is a 
difference between hoping and expecting. Having a great 
amount of hope but with low expectations can sometimes 
prevent disappointment.