City Council Approves Appropriation For Technology Park
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Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw City Council Monday approved an additional appropriation to acquire 90 acres of property within the designated Warsaw Technology Park. The council approved appropriating $550,000 out of the Redevelopment Northern Tax Increment Finance District into the capital outlays land fund to allow for the property acquisition. The cost to the city to expand the technology park is $2 million, or $2,200 an acre, according to Jeremy Skinner, city planner. A public hearing on the appropriation was during Monday’s meeting. Warsaw Redevelopment Commission will sign and approve a purchase agreement during its Oct. 8 meeting, and the city will acquire the property at that point. The commission has been unanimous in supporting the technology park. The technology park will be on the west side of CR 150 and north of U.S. 30, north and west of Ivy Tech Community College. The name of the property the city will purchase is the Kerlin property. Charlie Smith, councilman and Warsaw Redevelopment Commission member, motioned for the appropriation, seconded by Elaine Call, council woman. Smith said the city feels the technology park is critical to bringing in new jobs and keeping current jobs. “If you like your Ace Hardware, Lowe’s, Menards, and Walmart you need to have a vitality within the community to keep that going,” Smith said. Skinner said plans are to build the technology park in early 2014, and have the new road built and shell building constructed by the end of next year. “This has been about a year and a half in the making and we have finally come to an agreement to purchase the property,” Skinner said. “In order to extend the technology park to the west we have to acquire additional land and the Kerlin property is the next piece of property to acquire.” Skinner said phase one will be to extend the Robinson property, and the second phase will be to extend the Kerlin property. Along with the purchase agreement, the city will enter an agreement with Westhill Development to develop roads and infrastructure, and to build a 40,000-square foot shell building for the technology park that will be expandable up to 80,000-feet. The city is also in discussions with Ivy Tech to extend Polk Drive from behind Ivy Tech at North CR 150W to North CR 200W for access to the technology park. Some additional plans will include shifting current entrances to Medtronic to try to resolve staggered accesses utilizing the one center turn lane. Skinner said there will need to be road improvements made, and 28 acres of wetlands that will be used for retention. Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said the tech park will allow the city to partner with Ivy Tech and get a shell building put up by the end of next year. Thallemer also said Ivy Tech is interested in developing bike paths near the tech park. “Our investment is critical to get this moving and our collaborations and partnerships are even more important that we have been successful with,” Thallemer said. Skinner said the technology park will attract jobs and businesses. “We feel as a redevelopment commission the park will better position Warsaw as we have companies looking at Warsaw because of who we are and the things we offer,” Skinner said. “When we don’t have an industrial park with land shovel-ready and buildings to utilize it’s easy for others to get benefits going to our neighbors.” Skinner said the technology park will better position the city to offer more in the community. “We’re very fortunate to have this opportunity as a community to put together this agreement that will allow us to develop this industrial park,” Skinner said. “Obviously the city will be putting in some infrastructure. We’ll also be putting in sanitary sewer, water, fiber optics and so forth so that this is a true shovel-ready industrial park.” The council will meet again on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. at city hall.
