Nearly 100 acres in the county’s U.S. 41 Industrial Park are now ripe for development, Kent Utt, president of the Knox County Development Corp., announced to his board members Friday.
KCDC for weeks has been waiting to see whether its application for gold "shovel-ready" status, the highest distinction possible with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, would be approved.
Knox County was the first to use the organization’s new online application system, and the process was delayed at least twice as additional information was requested.
But all the waiting and hard work have paid off, Utt said.
“This is going to allow us to market that property even more, to a much larger pool of site selectors,” he said. “So we now have 95 new acres of property on which to grow.”
The KCDC is planning a brief celebration ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the park.
The KCDC in the last two years has expanded the Industrial Park significantly.
In June, KCDC members asked both the city and county councils to partner with them on purchasing 50 acres, known as the Worland Property, and each came through with $250,000 apiece.
That land was combined with another 50 acres, the Lewis property, purchased last year.
Utt also continued touting a successful tour of the county on Thursday by members of the Indiana Economic Development Corp. Knox County has partnered with Sullivan and Vigo counties in applying for $34 million from its Regional Cities Initiative.
Knox County’s lead project in the application is a proposed $2.5 million overhaul of Kimmell Park. And INVin, a new not-for-profit aimed at developing Main Street, hopes to get $2.35 million to make repairs to the New Moon Theater, 529 Main St., and the historic Pantheon Theatre, 428 Main St.
Proposed improvements in Vigo County include the redevelopment of the former American Can Company Transportation Manufacturing Facility located on the northern banks of the Wabash River into living space and working space for emerging entrepreneurs. Ivy Tech Community College also wants to do a $2 million renovation to its Agricultural Center, and St. Mary of the Woods College wants to build a $5 million equine facility.
Utt said while he had his doubts about whether the Wabash River Region could compete against the larger, bolder projects being proposed elsewhere in the state, his uncertainty turned to confidence after what he believed to be a very successful tour through the three-county area.
“I thought, ‘Gosh, we’re getting this [application] in so late, and there’s so much back-and-forth. Should we even submit one?’ But as we went through the tour, I started feeling better about our chances. Plus, ours is a truly modest request, but one that could really make a difference for us.
“We just couldn’t have had a better day yesterday.”
The IEDC group took a drive through Vincennes while KCDC leaders pointed out major investment projects — Clark’s Crossing, Good Samaritan Hospital’s ongoing BEACON project and Pioneer Oil Co.’s renovation of the old Hill’s Department store downtown.
“As they were walking away, and I don’t think they were just telling us, but they said they felt very good about what all we have to offer,” Utt said.
Utt said KCDC leaders will meet again with the IEDC committee Tuesday to formally present the three-county application. He hopes to hear back by Dec. 15 on whether the Wabash River Region will receive any of the $84 million being divvied out by the IEDC.
Should the region’s application be successful, officials in each community would have to come together and put up 60 percent of the total $34 million request, and another 20 percent would have to be solicited from private donors.
County council president Bob Lechner called the tour “enlightening” even for community leaders.
“I think [the IEDC committee members] got their eyes opened as to what is happening in Vincennes, in Knox County,” Lechner said, “and how these extra dollars could help us push our community forward even more.”