Nappanee Part Of Rail Expansion Plan
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
NAPPANEE - Mayor Larry Thompson, bolstered by the success of a recent meeting with CSX Transportation officials, shared some promising developments with the Common Council on Monday.
Regional vice president Stephen Watson confirmed for the mayor that the city will be included in a major construction project on the rail line spanning between Greenwich, Ohio, and Chicago.
"Over time, this project will be of gret benefit to your community, particularly in the area of economic development, as we increase opportunities to site new industrial facilities on our lines. For your area, this could mean new jobs and an enhanced tax base," Watson affirmed via a letter to Thompson dated May 19.
The official announcement was generated through the CSX regional headquarters in Indianapolis, and was backed by the duo of CSX Corp. chairman and CEO John Snow and Gov. Frank O'Bannon.
To upgrade the roughly 270-mile route between the cities will involve a capital investment of approximately $220 million. Indiana's share totals around $110 million.
The revamping of the rail system will include the addition of 113 miles of new parallel track where the existing railroad is operating on a single track. The project will also include any necessary improvements to bridges, railroad connections, sidings and train control signals.
Phase one of the state's work will include grading, drainage improvements, signal work and the installation of ballast, crossties and rail along 81 miles of northern Indiana's track route, which does include a stretch between Milford and Nappanee. Nearly all of the improvements will occur along existing railroad property.
Some forms of site preparation on a broader level have begun, though work is slated to get under way yet this month. As different phases of the construction occur, individual highway grade crossings may be affected for one to two days.
The entire scope of the railway project is expected to end in late 1998, with Indiana's segments targeted for completion in 1997.
The project does feature some additional overall benefits, such as allowing communities the opportunity to promote what will become a "fully modern, high-capacity" rail line. On-line freight customers will notice enhanced and faster service, and it is believed that congestion and delays will be alleviated as well.
More good news was heard before the council members, this time by way of Bill Spohn, senior planner for the Bonar Group, Fort Wayne. Spohn and members of the Redevelopment Commission have been working closely to hash out details of the recent housing study compiled through the city.
Fueled by trends pinpointed in the study, Spohn presented an early proposal outlining a housing effort that has been on the city's back burner since 1986 - the development of Pleasant Acres.
Pleasant Acres is set to encompass approximately 30 acres of land situated by South Williams Street to the west and East Indiana Street to the north. There are plans to build approximately 48 homes in that region, with lot coverage of 75 feet by 130 feet or 85 feet by 120 feet. That area has been annexed into the city for some 60 years, and plans to build up the area have been slow to formulate.
Some movement occurred in 1992 and again in 1994, when Commonwealth Engineers researched the infrastructure and conducted a cost survey. When the tally reached the $1 million mark, the idea took a back seat for another lengthy period, when it was feared high costs would keep would-be developers away.
Finally, in the fall of 1995, the Redevelopment Commission secured grant monies targeted specifically for a housing development and the interest resurged. With the alliance of several commissions and the implementation of the city's master plan, the issue is now considered high priority.
The typical Pleasant Acres home will have a price range of $75,000 to $85,000 and will be a single-family dwelling. Similar styles of housing have been built in South Bend and are considered very cost-efficient, with NIPSCO pointing out that the average heating costs typically run less than $300 annually.
Redevelopment Commission executive director Larry Andrews informed the board that an application for grant funds from the Rural Housing Assistance of South Bend has netted $200,000. The monies will be used to lessen the burden of down payments for the potential buyer. [[In-content Ad]]
NAPPANEE - Mayor Larry Thompson, bolstered by the success of a recent meeting with CSX Transportation officials, shared some promising developments with the Common Council on Monday.
Regional vice president Stephen Watson confirmed for the mayor that the city will be included in a major construction project on the rail line spanning between Greenwich, Ohio, and Chicago.
"Over time, this project will be of gret benefit to your community, particularly in the area of economic development, as we increase opportunities to site new industrial facilities on our lines. For your area, this could mean new jobs and an enhanced tax base," Watson affirmed via a letter to Thompson dated May 19.
The official announcement was generated through the CSX regional headquarters in Indianapolis, and was backed by the duo of CSX Corp. chairman and CEO John Snow and Gov. Frank O'Bannon.
To upgrade the roughly 270-mile route between the cities will involve a capital investment of approximately $220 million. Indiana's share totals around $110 million.
The revamping of the rail system will include the addition of 113 miles of new parallel track where the existing railroad is operating on a single track. The project will also include any necessary improvements to bridges, railroad connections, sidings and train control signals.
Phase one of the state's work will include grading, drainage improvements, signal work and the installation of ballast, crossties and rail along 81 miles of northern Indiana's track route, which does include a stretch between Milford and Nappanee. Nearly all of the improvements will occur along existing railroad property.
Some forms of site preparation on a broader level have begun, though work is slated to get under way yet this month. As different phases of the construction occur, individual highway grade crossings may be affected for one to two days.
The entire scope of the railway project is expected to end in late 1998, with Indiana's segments targeted for completion in 1997.
The project does feature some additional overall benefits, such as allowing communities the opportunity to promote what will become a "fully modern, high-capacity" rail line. On-line freight customers will notice enhanced and faster service, and it is believed that congestion and delays will be alleviated as well.
More good news was heard before the council members, this time by way of Bill Spohn, senior planner for the Bonar Group, Fort Wayne. Spohn and members of the Redevelopment Commission have been working closely to hash out details of the recent housing study compiled through the city.
Fueled by trends pinpointed in the study, Spohn presented an early proposal outlining a housing effort that has been on the city's back burner since 1986 - the development of Pleasant Acres.
Pleasant Acres is set to encompass approximately 30 acres of land situated by South Williams Street to the west and East Indiana Street to the north. There are plans to build approximately 48 homes in that region, with lot coverage of 75 feet by 130 feet or 85 feet by 120 feet. That area has been annexed into the city for some 60 years, and plans to build up the area have been slow to formulate.
Some movement occurred in 1992 and again in 1994, when Commonwealth Engineers researched the infrastructure and conducted a cost survey. When the tally reached the $1 million mark, the idea took a back seat for another lengthy period, when it was feared high costs would keep would-be developers away.
Finally, in the fall of 1995, the Redevelopment Commission secured grant monies targeted specifically for a housing development and the interest resurged. With the alliance of several commissions and the implementation of the city's master plan, the issue is now considered high priority.
The typical Pleasant Acres home will have a price range of $75,000 to $85,000 and will be a single-family dwelling. Similar styles of housing have been built in South Bend and are considered very cost-efficient, with NIPSCO pointing out that the average heating costs typically run less than $300 annually.
Redevelopment Commission executive director Larry Andrews informed the board that an application for grant funds from the Rural Housing Assistance of South Bend has netted $200,000. The monies will be used to lessen the burden of down payments for the potential buyer. [[In-content Ad]]