Syracuse, Ind., 62 Acre Tech Park Ready for Clients

The city hopes the park will attract technology companies and add diversity to the local economy.

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(TNS) — For more than 12 years, Syracuse officials have been trying to develop a new industrial park. Now it’s a reality. Syracuse Technology Park is shovel (and client) ready.

Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann awarded the shovel-ready designation to Syracuse Town Manager Henry DeJulia and Elkhart Economic Development Corp. President Dorinda Heiden-Guss during a ceremony Thursday morning at the site, located at the southwest corner of Ind. 13 and U.S. 6., behind a storage rental company.

“This is a fabulous location, a fabulous technology park here in Syracuse,” Ellspermann said. “But what I particularly like is the collaboration between Elkhart County and the town of Syracuse in creating something that will be beneficial to all. When we talk about regionalism and how it important it is, this is just a great example.”

Being designated shovel-ready means to a prospective client that Syracuse Technology Park is ready to build on: utilities are available on site; zoning is taken care of (in this case the zoning is M1); there is road access (the park can be accessed from Ind. 13 and from U.S. 6; there is a clear title to the land; and there is an established price.

Prospective clients also do not have to concern themselves with environmental assessments, wetland delineation, seismic data and soil borings, Ellspermann said.

“These are things that a company will not have to worry about when choosing a site,” she said, later adding, “And think about just sparing someone the issues that come with dealing with alphabet soup when you come in a new state or a new area.”

DeJulia said that the goal of town and county officials was to develop the 62-acre site that could provide Syracuse with an area to grow industry. The idea started 12 years ago, land was acquired in 2007, utilities were run 1.3 miles north of town, zoning was changed to M1 and the site, which is covered with many apple trees was made into an attractive seat for industry.

Syracuse Councilman Larry Siegel said, “We have had a lot of companies express interest, but we haven’t been ready until now.”

He hopes the park will attract technology companies and add a little diversity to the local economy. He pointed out that when the RV industry suffers a downward trend, it affects the town.

“Like the lieutenant governor said, technology is the future,” he said.

©2015 the Goshen News (Goshen, Ind.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


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