Ken De La Bastide, The Herald Bulletin
October 13, 2023
ANDERSON — Anderson City Council approved the rezoning of 252 acres along Park Road for future development.
The 252 acres runs from West 53rd Street, west of Park Road, bordered by West 67th Street and on the east by railroad tracks.
The 252-acre site was rezoned to be compatible with the Indiana Municipal Power Association solar park.
At council’s September meeting, Councilman Jon Bell suggested that access to the site come from West 67th Street along Park Road and that no commercial traffic be allowed to use West 53rd Street because of existing residential properties.
Matt House, Anderson city engineer, recommended that prominent signs at the exit of any new manufacturing facility direct truck traffic to the south and that no trucks be allowed north on Park Road.
House recommended additional signage designating 53rd Street a “no truck zone” and alternative routes to both 67th and 73rd streets.
“The traffic issue has been addressed,” Bell said.
Rob Sparks of the Corporation for Economic Development said the rezoning was designed to prepare the site for future development.
“We have a potential project looking at the site,” he noted.
Other business:
Council approved a six-year, 65% tax abatement for Scannell Properties, which is constructing a 300,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center for Corteva Agriscience.
The company is investing $30 million in Anderson. It would include a climate-controlled space of 100,000 square feet.
The facility is expected to utilize 30 acres of the property. The 26 other acres would remain with current property owners William and Cindy Mort.
Corteva Agriscience has signed a 10-year lease for the facility and hopes to be in operation by next June.
It will be a distribution center for seed to farmers in Indiana and Ohio.
The 41 jobs are expected to provide $1.9 million in annual salaries, with an average wage of $22 per hour.
The tax abatement will save the company $2.8 million in taxes over the six years, according to Greg Winkler, executive director of the Anderson Economic Development Department.
He said the company will pay $4.3 million in taxes over the next decade.