Washington Officials Hope to Make ‘Big Noise’ When Oldenburg Industrial Park Opens | Local News

0


[ad_1]

City plans to complete purchase of 115-acre property later this month

An official announcement is expected later this month, but Washington city officials are preparing to open a new 115-acre industrial park in the western part of the city.

“We’re going to celebrate this one,” Washington Mayor Sandy Lucy said at the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Monday, where the commission unanimously approved the concept but not the detailed site plan for the new industrial park.

The city expects to close on the property, which is described as being south of Highway 100, on October 27. The zoning commission and city council will approve a dish for the industrial park at a later date, according to Washington Community and Director of Economic Development Sal Maniaci.

“We have been studying for a long time where to go (a new industrial park). This is certainly not the only area we have looked at. We had a lot of land valued, but it was the property that seemed best suited to us, ”said Maniaci.

Planning and Zoning Commissioner Carolyn Witt welcomed the city’s decision to keep industrial parks on the city’s west side.

“I’m personally very excited, really happy to see this industrial growth in the west end of the city,” Witt said. “I wouldn’t want our community to be limited by industrial parks to the east and west, especially with the opening of the new school (South Point Elementary). Its good. This gives the possibility of greater residential growth on this (east) side of the city. “

City officials plan to name the new industrial park after the late Richard Oldenburg, who died in March.

“With the passing of Richard Oldenburg this year, the 353 Redevelopment Corporation felt it appropriate to give him his name given everything he has done for the community. He’s done so much (for Washington), especially during his tenure as chief economic officer, that they felt it was only fitting that the next industrial park be named after him, ”Maniaci said.

Oldenburg served as Washington’s economic center development director for 24 years from 1986 to 2010. During his tenure, around thirty industries moved or developed in the three local industrial parks. Between 2,000 and 3,000 jobs have been created, with an investment of $ 200 million to $ 300 million, from companies like Melton Machine & Control Co. and WEG Transformers USA, which are based here.

“It would probably not be possible for us to carry out a project of this magnitude if it was not (what he) started doing all these years ago with the first industrial parks,” said Maniaci. .

When it opens to development, the industrial park will be the sixth in the city.

The other industrial parks are: Elmer C. Heidmann Industrial Park, home to Enduro Binders, LMI Aerospace, Melton Machine & Control Co., WEG and Hodges Badge Co .; the John H. Feltmann Industrial Park, home to companies like Empac and Howmet Aerospace; the Robert “Bob” Miller Industrial Park, home to M&R Plating and the Rawlings distribution facility; Town & Country Industrial Park, home to Kluba Machine and The Magnet Group; and the Schulze Industrial Park, home to Parker Hannifin, Clemco Industries and Frick’s Quality Meats.

Maniaci said all industrial parks are full except for 16.5 acres of land in Heidmann Industrial Park.

The zoning commission gave preliminary approval Monday to sell 3.5 acres of land on Michels Drive to JB Capital in Heidmann. The sale has yet to be approved by Washington City Council. JB Capital is registered with Jon Ballmann, of Marthasville, according to the Missouri Secretary of State’s website.

“If we don’t have land for existing industries to expand, then they will start looking elsewhere and potentially move outside of Washington. We don’t want that to happen, so this (new) industrial park is going to help, ”Maniaci said.

He said he hopes to “make a splash” later this month when the sale of the property ends.

“We always hear from a potential industry, whether local or from people looking for available properties, about interest in Washington,” Maniaci said. “If we can wrap up, we hope we can make a big announcement and be able to truly market this 100+ acre property as available for a major user to come in and have the first choice of a brand new industrial building.” . to park.”

He said it might take a while, if not years, for Oldenburg industrial park to be 100% occupied, but the city is already considering a location for a seventh industrial park.

“Realistically, we bought the Heidmann industrial park in 2000, and it took 20 years after we started to bring it to where it is today,” said Maniaci. “So if it takes us 20 years (to fill the Oldenburg industrial park), then that’s okay, as long as we have land available for businesses to grow. “

[ad_2]

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.