River Ridge approves infrastructure investment, land sale negotiations
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The River Ridge Development Authority board of directors has authorized $2 million in infrastructure improvements at the River Ridge Commerce Center in Charlestown. The authority also approved negotiations for two potential land sales totaling nearly 100 acres, the business park announced Tuesday.
The board approved a $1.8 million contract to begin construction of what it is calling the Jim Lewis roadway project, which will include a 3-lane curb and gutter section from the east truck entrance for DA Inc. to just east of the Penny Martin Lane intersection.
Additionally, $45,500 will be invested to design and engineer an emergency water connection with the city of Charlestown.
“Every penny we spend on infrastructure is money well spent,” River Ridge Executive Director Jerry Acy said in a news release. “Last year alone, we invested more than $27 million in infrastructure. Over the next ten years, we plan to invest another $200 million in similar projects.”
Few details on the land sale negotiations were available. The RRDA said they involve an 80-acre lot on International Drive in the business park and a 15-acre lot on Patrol Road.
The authority said the negotiations come amid a record number of site visits at the business park in 2023.
Earlier this year, the RRDA released the results of a study conducted by Indianapolis-based Policy Analytics LLC that showed the River Ridge Commerce Center, which spans Charlestown and Jeffersonville, generated more than $2.7 billion in economic impact for southern Indiana last year.
Nearly 12,000 people are employed at the business park, which also supports more than 6,300 regional jobs, according to the study.
The RRDA also reached an agreement with the city of Charlestown in May to streamline development requirements the portion of the former Indiana Army Ammunition Plant in Charlestown that makes up part of the business park.