The Knox County Development Corp. is growing.
President Kent Utt announced to his board of directors Thursday morning at a meeting held at the new Clark's Crossing senior affordable housing complex downtown that the organization has added nearly 20 members in the last eight months.
“I think that speaks a lot to the commitment and dedication of this board,” he said to the group. “And a lot of it was just in going back to inactive members and asking them if they wanted to contribute once again.”
Utt said in the recruitment of new members they found that many, despite its “large membership and good coverage from the media,” didn't know about the KCDC and all that it “had its hands in,” things like the recent addition of Farbest Foods Inc.'s turkey processing plant in the U.S. 41 Industrial Park and MacAllister Machinery's plans to construct a new building there as well.
Utt said he has been spending much of his time visiting with civic organizations here and in surrounding counties as well as meeting with local business owners in an effort to spread the KCDC's hopes for continued economic growth.
“We just want to tell our story, the history of our industrial parks and how they have grown, local unemployment and per capita income statistics,” Utt said. “We want to share with them our future plans, recent successes and get to know their business as well. We want to find out more about what they do and tell them how they can benefit from the economic growth of our community.”
Officials with MacAllister Machinery, a large-equipment dealer, said they had recently poured the concrete footings for their new location in the U.S. 41 Industrial Park but weather had somewhat slowed progress.
But soon, Utt said, residents would see “a lot of moving parts out there” with with contractors getting started on that new facility that will act as a hub for commercial equipment rentals.
Utt also said the organization is moving closer to closing on the purchase of nearly 50 acres just south of the current park. Dubbed the Worland property, it will now connect the existing park with another 50 acres to the south that KCDC purchased last year, acreage known as the Lewis property.
Utt said he is also working to secure a 100-foot easement from an adjacent property owner so the two tracts can be combined and all of it made shovel ready for new business.
“There are a lot of negotiations going on and good movement forward with that park,” Utt said.
After the business meeting KCDC members toured the finsihed Clark's Crossing, a 46-unit senior affordable living complex completed early this year. Board members got a chance to peruse a few empty units and take a tour of the newly renovated Adams Coliseum as well.
Andy Myszak, Myszak and Palmer Architecture and Development, a part of the deveopment team that oversaw construction and funding, said 12 units have been leased and another 20 applications are being processed.
“I just love it, it's amazing,” Utt said from the facility's community room, the former school's gymnasium. “And I think the coolest thing is that they have retrofitted these rooms to fit within the existing structure. Now old classrooms have been turned into beautiful historic apartments.”
New KCDC board chairman Heath Klein, too, said Clark's Crossing is something for which the community can be very proud.
“The way they have restored this and kept its historical architecture but also kept it very modern and liveable is amazing,” he said. “The security, it's just neat how they brought the latest in technology in.
“The building now looks so stately and beautiful. The residents, I believe, will have a good sense of community pride and be proud to live here.”