MITCHELL— Following Thursday morning’s groundbreaking ceremony, construction will commence on a new shell building intended to attract manufacturing jobs to the Mitchell industrial park.
A new 50,000-square-foot building suitable for a manufacturer will be constructed on a fourteen-acre parcel in the industrial park at the intersection of Doc Hamilton Boulevard and Meridian Road.
The new building is a joint venture between the City of Mitchell and the Lawrence County Redevelopment Commission. The two local government bodies have been working on the project together for over a year, following the passage of a Memorandum of Understanding outlining their collaborating plans. Mitchell contributed the parcel of land while the RDC is paying for the construction of the building.
Shell buildings are one of the most frequently cited methods economic development agencies use to attract new businesses to their communities. Businesses looking to start, expand, or relocate their production capacity typically prefer to save time by moving into a building that is already substantially complete; shell buildings are often mentioned explicitly as options for consideration when companies send our requests for proposals to search for business growth sites.
“The City of Mitchell understands that providing this parcel of land in the industrial park is a good way to highlight the desirability of the park and the City for business growth,” remarked Mitchell Mayor Don Caudell. “We believe that business leaders appreciate seeing this example of local government collaboration to support the local business community.”
“The County Redevelopment Commission felt very strongly that the relationship of the Heidelberg plant to the Mitchell economy and history was a powerful reason to target Mitchell to receive this first major project to be funded through the Heidelberg TIF,” said RDC member Scott Smith, the former County Council president. “We know that Mitchell offers a good opportunity for companies to grow in.”
The Lawrence County Economic Growth Council will market the building. GM Development, an Indiana-based firm, is managing construction. Runnebohm Construction of Shelbyville is the contractor.
