Laurie Wink, The News-Dispatch
LA PORTE - La Porte County Economic Development Director Matt Reardon updated members of the county redevelopment commission Tuesday on five projects.
Reardon said a potential development of some 350,000 square feet of retail and commercial projects for the southwest corner of Interstate 94 and U.S. 421 is "mired in federal red tape."
Reardon said the project is "being stymied by Army Corps of Engineers wetland permitting requirements." He said land owners and the purchaser, represented by GK Development Inc. of Barrington, Ill., are trying to work through the permit process. Reardon said he will ask U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Granger, to help expedite it.
Meanwhile, Reardon said, a developer continues to investigate the potential for an intermodal facility in La Porte County, while the 21-member Intermodal Task Force appointed by County Commissioners lays the groundwork for reviewing any potential proposals.
Task force co-chair Dave Christian shared with commissioners a copy of the task force's first draft budget estimate of $97,000, with $17,000 for operations and $80,000 for technical experts who would be used only as needed. A second draft budget totaling $48,000 was developed with input from commissioners and County Council members. It allocates $5,000 for operations and $43,000 for as-needed assistance from experts.
The final budget must be approved by commissioners and the County Council.
Also, the developer of a proposed biodiesel manufacturing facility in La Porte County will request a tax abatement for equipment at the next County Council meeting. Reardon said the company plans to invest $3 million and create nine jobs. The La Porte County Board of Zoning Appeals approved two locations, in Westville and Kingsbury Industrial Park, as potential locations.
On another matter, representatives of a medical office complex on County Road 400 North have completed plans to expand and are negotiating with County Commissioners to insert turn areas in the County Road 400 North expansion plan. The turn areas would be for improved safety, developers said. Engineering plans have been completed for the $8 million County Road 400 North project, funded equally by Michigan City and La Porte County. The project will widen the road to five lanes from Ohio Street on the west to Woodland Avenue on the east.
Also, Reardon said he is working with a developer interested in putting in a subdivision of several hundred houses prices at $240,000 each on County Road 300 North near Patriot Park. The developer is waiting for sewer and water lines to be installed before purchasing about 100 acres for the development.
Michigan City Sanitary District General Manager Al Walus reported on a potential location for a lift station and gravity sewer system to serve development in the I-94 and U.S. 421 area. By relocating a quarter mile farther south from the original location on County Road 300 North, he said, a new lift station could be installed at half the depth, reducing the cost.
The new location, on a corner of the Steel City property on U.S. 421, was identified with assistance from Mark DeBruler, a consulting engineer with Beam, Longest and Neff of Indianapolis.
Reardon said use of the Steel City property would be negotiated with Steel City.
"We'll try to get a donation from the company," Reardon said, in exchange for hooking up to the new sanitary system. If that doesn't work, Walus said, another location up to five miles south could be identified.
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