Mt. Vernon Register-News

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January 31, 2012

February completion expected for studies

By end of Feb. studies expected to be completed and presented to council

By TESA CULLI tesa.culli@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Two studies commissioned by the city are expected to be completed and presented to the city council by the end of February — the Housing Study and the Industrial Park Study.

“We have been providing a lot of information for them, but we haven’t seen any preliminary drafts yet,” City Manager Ron Neibert said.

The Housing Needs Study, which is being done by the Zanola Company, LLC with a $24,500 price tag was approved in November 2011. The study was to find ways to address a projected housing shortage which is expected in the next few years.

“The study is expected to show the range of income levels which housing is missing in Mt. Vernon along with an analysis of housing stock available based on income ranges,” Neibert explained. “We will be experiencing increases in jobs and salary ranges as the Continental Tire project and the Good Samaritan Hospital project near completion. We decided to do the study to show us where we are missing housing and how to attract developers and where they should be.”

The Industrial Park Study, which is being completed by PGAV, was approved in October. According to information presented by the City Council at the time the industrial park study was approved, there are only about 25 acres left for development in the Rolland W. Lewis Industrial Park on the city’s west side. Under the scope of work commissioned, PGAV will complete a study of three potential sites for a new industrial park, one of which must be in the existing tax increment finance district on the west side of Interstate 57 and another which must be in an area near Continental Tire the Americas. The third proposed site will be one recommended by PGAV.

“We also want them to identify another large industrial project area for a project which would need 300 to 500 acres,” Neibert said.

Neibert also explained a good portion of the Industrial Park Study will be discussed in closed session, as it will contain information about recommendations for land acquisition for the city-owned industrial park.

“We won’t know how much can be released until we see the actual report,” Neibert said. “Certainly, after any land acquisition is completed, all the information will be made available to the public.”

Neibert said funding for an industrial park would be predominantly from grants.

“The Economic Development Agency, which is a sub-agency of the Department of Commerce, will grant half the cost,” Neibert said. “We have also been working with Greater Egypt Planning and Development on grants available. I’ve worked with EDA before, and it’s been well over 20 years since Mt. Vernon has had an EDA funded project. They are anxious to do something in Mt. Vernon again.”

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