FREMONT — Fremont was in the limelight Friday for an accomplishment intended to boost economic development with a state certification only 93 other Indiana municipalities have.
Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann awarded Fremont with shovel-ready site certification for a 150-acre site on the north side of Swager Drive just east of Feather Valley Road. The ceremony was held at the Fremont Public Library and was attended by state and local leaders.
The certification is from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
“You all have location, location, location. This prepares you,” Ellspermann said. “It is so critical we have strong communities going forward. Thank you, Fremont and Steuben County. We’re looking for great things to happen.”
Fremont Town Manager Chris Snyder said was he thrilled what the shovel-ready certification means to the town and county. He highly praised his hometown, its schools, leaders, library, residents and friendly atmosphere, along with the county’s numerous amenties.
“I don’t know a business that wouldn’t want to locate here,” Snyder said. “We know this will give us a competitive advantage. We know this will be a positive step forward.”
Fremont’s is the 14th largest of the more than 90 shovel-ready sites in the state, said Dave Koenig, executive director of the Steuben County Economic Development Corp.
“There has been interest,” Koenig said about the site. “We have three serious prospects. Fremont did it right to accept the right project. Its says something about the Fremont entry.”
The SCEDC, working with funds provided by the county, has been working for some two years to get sites certified in the community. It now has two, Fremont and a 38-acre Hudson site.
Creation of the certification has been a long process, as Snyder said something of its magnitude has been in the works since the 1990s.
This summer, Fremont rezoned the 150 acres from multifamily housing to small business and light industrial to help in the process.