Center City Industrial Park

The following is a press release from Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel's office.

September 7, 2005 update by Fred Padget

As you probably all ready know, Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel recently announced plans to proceed with a Center City Industrial Park. This approximate 141 acre industrial park will be midway between the Lloyd and Diamond Avenue and bordering on Pigeon Creek to the west and Fulton Avenue to the east. It is completely within the WIA boundaries. There are a total of 286 parcels of which 105 contain no improvements and represent about 39 acres. 87 of the remaining parcels are vacant. Current zoning is mostly Industrial at 97 acres with Residential being about 16 acres and Commercial a little less than two acres. Much of the residential housing condition is rated as below average by the County Assessor.

The goals and objectives of the park are to:

Create jobs and replace lost manufacturing jobs
Retain and expand existing industry
Attract new industry and private investment
Increase the tax base
Provide end-users with clear, ready to go sites for industrial development
Provide an alternative to greenspace development, encourage industry to locate in urban areas and enhance smart growth opportunities
Allow for the redevelopment and reuse of numerous brownfields
Assist in the revitalization of a blighted neighborhood.

Many things have to take place before this project can begin including designation of the area as a Redevelopment Area, performance of environmental assessments and remediation if required, gain appropriate zoning and establish a TIF (Tax Increment Financing) district along with other actions.

Some of the advantages for this site are:

Access to railroad corridor
Improvements to Fulton Avenue, the main north-south thoroughfare through the site
Proximity to the Lloyd Expressway – approximately 3/4 mile south
Fulton/Lloyd interchange to undergo major improvement in the near future
Proximity to Diamond Avenue (3/4 mile north), which is currently undergoing major improvements
Proposed extension of the Pigeon Creek Greenway to run along the western border of the park along Pigeon Creek
Ability to meet the demand for industrial sites within the City limits
Majority of the site is located within the Enterprise Zone.

We’ll continue to watch this project and keep you informed.

AUGUST 18, 2005

Concept, History and Public Input

In March 2005 the City of Evansville announced a proposal to develop a 140-acre Center City Industrial Park along the railroad corridor situated midway between the Lloyd Expressway and Diamond Avenue, between Pigeon Creek and Fulton Avenue. The area was highly industrialized in the late 1800’s, but today has numerous vacant industrial and residential properties. Pockets of residential properties exist among the industrial uses and many residential properties have substandard housing units creating major concerns for both residents and industries.

Coinciding with the announcement, a fiscal year 2006 federal appropriations request for $3 million was presented for acquisition, demolition, environmental assessments, necessary environmental abatement/remediation and site preparation for industrial development.

In April 2005, three public meetings were held to propose the idea of a center city industrial park in Pigeon Township and get feedback and public input. A total of nearly 200 people attended the public meetings. During and after the meetings, many neighboring property owners and residents expressed interest in the project. Therefore, information packets were mailed to property owners both inside the proposed boundaries of the park and one block north and south of the proposed park. The packets included 1) a zoning and use map of the area, 2) statistics of the area and 3) a bullet point summary outlining the area, goals and objectives of the park and advantages of the site.

Next, on May 16, 2005, a survey was mailed to owners of property within the proposed boundaries of the park to measure support for the idea. Adjacent property owners were sent surveys on June 7, 2005.

The Park will spur economic development and job growth in the City, Southwestern Indiana and the State of Indiana. The Park will convert brownfield properties into usable industrial park space. A brownfield is an industrial or commercial property that is abandoned, inactive or underutilized, on which expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated due to actual or perceived environmental contamination. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties reduces development pressures on undeveloped greenfields and improves and protects the environment.

Goals and Objectives of the Park

• Create jobs and replace lost manufacturing jobs
• Retain and expand existing industry
• Attract new industry and private investment
• Increase the tax base
• Provide end-users with clear, ready to go sites for industrial development
• Provide an alternative to greenspace development, encourage industry to locate in urban areas and enhance smart growth opportunities
• Allow for the redevelopment and reuse of numerous brownfields
• Assist in the revitalization of a blighted neighborhood

Advantages of the Site for a Center City Industrial Park

• Access to railroad corridor
• Improvements to Fulton Avenue, the main north-south thoroughfare through the site
• Proximity to the Lloyd Expressway – approximately 3/4 mile south
• Fulton/Lloyd interchange to undergo major improvement in the near future
• Proximity to Diamond Avenue (3/4 mile north), which is currently undergoing major improvements
• Proposed extension of the Pigeon Creek Greenway to run along the western border of the park along Pigeon Creek
• Ability to meet the demand for industrial sites within the City limits
• Majority of the site is located within the Enterprise Zone

Action Plan
In an effort to proactively prepare for needs and demands of the community and revitalize a blighted area, the City of Evansville plans to take the following actions:

• By and through its Redevelopment Commission, designate the area as a Redevelopment Area and adopt a Redevelopment Plan for the area pursuant to Indiana Code 36-7-14
• Acquire, clear and conduct environmental assessment and remediation/abatement of sites
• Assemble and offer sites for development
• Provide appropriate zoning for an industrial park
• Establish a TIF area to pay for infrastructure improvements
• Market the Park and support economic development and job creation activities by working closely with Vision-e, EUEA and other regional economic development organizations

Conclusion

The Center City Industrial Park will have an immediate impact on the economic well being of the Southwestern Indiana region. The assemblage, remediation and clearance of industrial sites will encourage private capital investment in the Park, strengthening the economic future of the region.

The results of the survey of property owners in and around the proposed industrial park support proceeding with the development of a center city industrial park.