The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/973584
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, April 25, 2018 A-3 LOCAL Call: 812-354-8500 Email: news@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg Continued from page 1 MASTER CO U N T Y C O UNC I L I would like to continue my term on county council. I'm a lifelong Pike County resident. After graduation from Pike Central, I attained a finance degree from Indiana University Kelly School of Business. I had a 40-year career in banking, in which I was the youngest bank president in the state, along with sitting on the board of directors at eight different banks. I feel I'm qualified for the job. In the eight years I've been on council, we have made great strides in the community. We have, while keeping a good budget, accomplished the following: Shovel-ready site at I-69, with utilities, for development. Improved equipment at highway garage. Increased collection rates with EMS to reduce costs, while adding paramedics and a second location, reducing average response times by more than half to eight minutes. Improved communication with cities and towns. Pike County is the 87th lowest tax county of the 92 counties. Kept tax rates low. I will make it a priority for Pike County to thrive and be prepared for any opportunities for growth. We need to create a community in which our kids and grandkids will have opportunities for employment where they live. 1 2 3 4 5 FOR Paid for by Max Elliott Committee for Council PORK CHOP DINNER AT WINSLOW MASONIC LODGE #260 Saturday, Apr. 28 11am - 6pm • Carry-out or Dine-in $ 10 in advance $ 12 at the door $ 5 kids 12 & under Tickets For additional information, call Menu 510 N. Main St., Hwy 61 Jerry Hill 812-354-7656 Chris Satterfield 812-779-7528 Larry Carpenter 812-582-8899 Pork chop, corn, green beans, mashed potatoes, dinner roll, dessert and a drink. BRAD JENKINS for Sheriff Paid for by Marté Nelson-Daves represents a concerted effort from our local officials and the business community, to aggressively attract invest- ment to our community and bring generational develop- ment to southwest Indiana." Paul Wheatley, of the Wheatley group, which con- sults with the Pike EDC, said the master plan is a "culmina- tion of effort and vision of lo- cal government and EDC for Pike County." He added, "I-69 was a life- line to this community. There has been a stagnant growth project for Pike County, but this plan is a plan to do something about that," said Wheatley. The plan breaks the 4,000 acres into five different ar- eas: Interchange North, Pike Crossing, Generations Springs, Indiana Southern sites and Residential North- west. Wheatley said it calls for a mix of light and heavy industrial, commercial, and retail and residential devel- opment in the various areas. Each of these five areas have proposed uses in the plan. It calls for Interchange North to be a mixture of com- mercial uses, such as restau- rants, hotels, gas station, va- riety stores, and other retail businesses to serve area res- idents. Pike Crossings, the south interchange area, will include existing residential develop- ment and "holds tremendous opportunity as a new employ- ment center" for all of Pike County. It will also be the site for the Entrepreneur- ship and Technology Center of Pike County. Pike EDC has received a $757,000 grant to help fund the technology cen- ter. This area is also seen as having manufacturing, ware- housing, logistics and oth- er industrial uses, with ac- cess to Highway 61 and the planned upgrades to CR 350 N. and CR 300 N. Generation Springs is an Indiana Site Certified-Sil- ver Tier site (shovel ready). It is seen as being able to ac- commodate multiple develop- ments of four to 60 acres to locate manufacturing, ware- housing, logistics and other industrial uses in a park-like setting. Indiana Southern Sites has two large areas adjacent to the Indiana Southern rail- road that are seen as prospec- tive sites for heavy industrial and rail transportation uses. Residential-Northeast has been designated for low den- sity residential development of higher end homes on lake front property. During the press confer- ence, Mandabach talked about some of the advantag- es the area and various part- nerships give Pike Coun- ty. Included in those are a 350 -plus-acre area called Generation Springs that is "shovel ready" and certified by the Indiana EDC. It also is served by two rail lines, has three high voltage electrical lines criss-crossing it, prox- imity to I-69, as well as three other state highways. Mandabach said Bowman Family Holdings is more than just the landowner partner- ing with Pike County to help market the area. They also are interested in partnering with prospective businesses wishing to locate here. "We will sell or lease, but we are looking for partnerships. Our company has a strong inter- est in partnering to expand industrial and ag opportuni- ties. If there is an opportuni- ty for us to invest in the proj- ect, that is what we are look- ing for," said Mandabach. He added because of their mining business, they have engineering services to go along with expert excavat- ing capabilities that might be able to expedite and less- en site preparation time and costs. Bowman Family Holdings has also been key in helping market the area, along with being involved in developing many of the marketing tools, such as the website. They al- so helped facilitate Manda- bach traveling with Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb and a contingent of Indiana busi- ness people to Japan, where they met with numerous Jap- anese industrial leaders. "Three things make it (Pike County I-69 inter- change area) stand out. Loca- tion, leadership and partner- ship. Time and time again, we are told the public part- ner relationship we have here is the strongest in Indiana," said Mandabach. "That is something every- one in this room should be proud of," said Mandabach. Paul Wheatley of The Wheatley Group runs through a summary of a Master Plan for the I-69 Interchange area for about 50 peo- ple who attended a press conference last Thursday in the Pike County Courthouse auditorium. National Day of Prayer is May 3 The National Day of Prayer celebration in Pike County is scheduled for noon, Thurs- day, May 3 at the Pike Coun- ty Courthouse rotunda. The event is sponsored by the Pike County Ministerial Fel- lowship. It was established in 1952 by then President Har- ry Truman as a time for the United States to pray togeth- er at one time. This year's celebration will start with the Pike Central Swing Choir singing the Na- tional Anthem in the rotun- da. The event will feature nu- merous pastors from the area leading various prayers and will last about 20 minutes. Pike County residents Dr. Barry Pirkle and Lisa Gentry look over maps of the development area and talk following the presentation on the Master Plan. Above, Jon Craig, President of the Pike Economic Development Corporation, Ashley Willis, Executive Director of Pike EDC and John Mandabach, of Bowman Family Holdings, talk about the Master Plan.