By ANNIE GOELLER, Daily Journal of Johnson County staff writer
Johnson County already has an abundance of land and buildings available for development, so it's unclear if a proposed toll road interchange would become a job center.
The governor says his proposed Indiana Commerce Connector, a 75-mile toll road that would run through six counties, would bring economic development to the six areas where the route ties into state and national highways.
Local officials, including a county commissioner and Franklin's mayor, have agreed.
But some local business and development leaders said that just because a toll road is built doesn't mean companies will flock to it.
Businesses will still be interested in the more than 1,300 acres of open land and more than 1.5 million square feet of empty business buildings in Franklin and Greenwood. And some might not be attracted to the toll road because of fees that would be paid to get on and off the highway, a lack of interchanges or the road's location.
State officials have said they are in the early stages of planning the road and don't know the exact route, but preliminary maps have shown the beltway would go from Interstate 69 in Madison County, northeast of Indianapolis, south and then west around the city and end at Interstate 70 in Hendricks County near Indianapolis International Airport.
In Johnson County, maps show the beltway would be built south of Franklin between State Roads 44 and 252.
That area now is mainly farmland in the unincorporated part of the county, meaning most is not served by sewer or water service.
A city or town likely would have to annex the land, have it rezoned and build the infrastructure needed to attract businesses. Franklin Mayor Brenda Jones-Matthews has not decided if the city will seek to annex the land, since the exact route is not known and the process is just beginning.
But land with sewer access, land that is zoned correctly and buildings that are ready for companies to move in already are available in the county.
In Franklin and Greenwood, several industrial and business parks have open space, much of it along I-65. But in both areas, growth has suffered lulls in recent years.
In Franklin, more than a decade passed before a business located in the Franklin Business Park, on the east side of the city. More than 500 acres are available in other business parks and areas of the city.
In Greenwood, development of Precedent South Business Center, a business park near I-65, has slowed and not had the boom developers expected. At least 800 more acres are available in other business parks and in open land.
The governor's proposed toll road would be another amenity in the specific area it is built to draw in businesses, just like Interstate 65 is in Greenwood and Franklin, said Larry Siegler, vice president of Precedent Commercial Development, which developed Precedent South Business Center near I-65 in Greenwood.
Local officials can use the toll road as a marketing tool to sell the area, but there is still plenty of other land available in the county, Siegler said.
"They're already trying to attract businesses. They can use the tollway as a marketing tool, but it's not a new measure where, all of a sudden, they will be attracting those businesses," he said.
But until land in Greenwood and Franklin fills up, businesses likely won't locate along the toll road, said Scott Langdon, of Langdon Real Estate Services.
Land near I-65, such as around Main Street in Greenwood, might be more attractive right now. Often, businesses will soak up all the available land in an established area before branching out to a new area, such as where the toll road is planned, he said.
"Industrial people like to be where the activity is and go places that have already been proven," Langdon said.
Plans to make the route a toll road will also have an effect on businesses, said Cheryl Morphew, director of the Johnson County Development Corp.
A lack of interchanges and a charge when motorists get on and off the road might not be attractive to some businesses.
But the connection with several different highways throughout the state, including Interstates 70 and 74, could appeal to companies that are moving their product across the country, she said.
City officials said growth is continuing in their cities and many business parks likely will be full before the toll road is constructed, an estimated 15 or more years from now.
Jones-Matthews and Morphew said the toll road adds another option for businesses in Franklin but doesn't necessarily mean businesses won't choose other areas before they buy land around the proposed toll road. Businesses choose their location based on their needs, Jones-Matthews said.
"We have various industrial parks; and to me, each has its good points. But it's all about location and what they need. I often don't know why businesses locate here or there instead of other areas," she said.
Whether companies choose to locate along the toll road will depend on a number of factors, including what type of transportation the businesses uses and land price, she said.
Greenwood Mayor Charles Henderson said he wasn't sure what the appeal of the beltway will be to businesses since the project is in its early stages, but he said he isn't worried the beltway will draw businesses away from the city, especially with the easy access in many areas to I-65.
"I think (Interstate) 465 is still a pretty good belt," he said.