Industrial park will get site-readiness advice, $10,000 check
Duke Energy has selected a 500-acre site in Vermillion County as one of six sites chosen for participation in the company’s 2018 Site Readiness Program. The site is located inside the Vermillion Rise Mega Park.
The Site Readiness Program identifies, evaluates and improves sites in the company’s service territory for potential industrial development, according to a news release from Duke Energy.
“Economic development and job growth are important factors in building successful and sustainable communities,” said Erin Schneider, director of economic development for Duke Energy Indiana. “We recognize our obligation to help local areas become prosperous and more secure to support long-term growth.”
“Our long-standing partnership with Duke Energy has helped us make The Rise a competitive business location,” said Bob Grewe, executive director of the Vermillion Rise Mega Park. “The third-party validation the Site Readiness Program provides can increase a developer’s confidence that our 500-acre Broadway site is ready for industrial projects.”
A national consulting firm will make development suggestions based on its comprehensive assessment. Those recommendations could include road improvements, easements and rights-of-way that would be required to develop the site as well as steps necessary to mitigate any potential environmental impacts. Banning Engineering will produce final drawings and conceptual site plans.
After local officials see the consultant’s final recommendations later this year, Duke Energy will present a $10,000 check to help implement the recommendations.
Duke Energy Indiana’s overall economic development program has been consistently named by Site Selection magazine as one of the nation’s “Top 10 Utility Economic Development Programs.” Since 2008, the company has participated in the creation of nearly 20,000 jobs and total capital investment of approximately $4.5 billion.
For more information about Duke Energy Indiana’s economic development programs, visit locationindiana.com.
