JEFFERSONVILLE — There’s been no confirmation from Jeffboat yet, but the general understanding is that the manufacturing facility no longer will be a shipyard, and local and state officials are hungry for a good alternative.
State Sen. Ron Grooms, R-Jeffersonville, has been receiving updates about the property from the state government, which he said is meeting with Jeffboat’s owners and advisors about what to do with the property.
Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore said he has had “multiple conversations” with people who are interested in the property, about which he has also been speaking with Jeffboat officials.
Grooms would be most interested in another industrial user taking over the property, especially a light manufacturing or information technology business with jobs that could rival Jeffboat’s.
Moore, on the other hand, is hopeful for a mix of businesses and homes, although Grooms could see the area being used for a mix of industrial and residential reasons, as well — especially because of the property’s size: 65 acres of expansive property spread along more than a mile of riverfront.
Jeffboat declined to comment for this story, but said in its original closing announcement that company owners would be searching for the “best alternative” for the property.
Indiana Economic Development Corp. spokesperson Abby Gras weighed in on a Jeffboat replacement in an email, saying that facilities like Jeffboat are often “great” places for companies looking to expand. A recent example of that happening is in Orleans where Jasper Group, a seating and casegoods company, recently announced it would move into a facility previously occupied by Paoli Inc., a wood office furniture manufacturer.
“At this point,” Gras said. “It’s a bit too early to speculate, but we certainly support the local community and efforts to repurpose or redevelop the property.”
Whatever use or uses end up presenting themselves, Moore hopes that the public will be able to weigh in. A new user would probably have to get a zoning change from the city for the property, which would require approval by the Jeffersonville plan commission and city council.
There are state and federal hurdles that the Jeffboat property owner might have to jump, too.
In an email provided to the News and Tribune from the IEDC to Grooms, the economic development corporation said that new uses would require the owner of the property to conduct an environmental assessment to determine contamination of the site.
Currently, a letter from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management confirming that no cleanup is needed for a property can take up to 180 days, or around six months, for a company to receive. If environmental damage is significant, however, the property owner would have to work with IDEM, and the severity of contamination would determine how long remediation would take.
Moore said in a previous interview with the News and Tribune that Jeffboat Vice President Mike Poindexter assured him that the company did not use any harsh chemicals, nor did it bury tanks, on the Jeffboat site, which could help the company’s IDEM case.
Still, the standard of cleanup for a property wanting to become a residential site is extremely high, according to the email provided by Grooms, although the state and federal governments do provide financing help for site cleanup.
The U.S Army Corps of Engineers might also have to be involved with the new use process from a “regulatory perspective,” according to the email. The use of the property would help determine that.
As for incentives, the Jeffboat property could be eligible for an Industrial Recovery Tax Credit, which is given to vacant industrial sites being converted to another use. Federal funding options for economic development projects are also available, but they vary based on the future use of the property. The IEDC and Jeffersonville also have been known to provide tax abatements and training help for new businesses coming to town.
Moore is determined to see the California-owned Jeffboat become something else, which is one of the reasons why he wants to be more involved with the company’s leaders. It’s also the reason why he talked about the subject with Eric Holcomb when the governor visited Jeffersonville on Friday.
“I don’t want to sit back and just watch things happen,” Moore said. “Because my fear is the land will sit dormant.”
Moore said that Holcomb listened to him on Friday and said that the state would be there to help Jeffersonville in any way needed.