Wabash site earns ‘Shovel Ready’ designation
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A 232-acre property in Wabash has received a key designation signifying its readiness for future development.
The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs has awarded its “Shovel Ready Gold” designation to the site in the Wedcor Industrial Park.
Grow Wabash County, the economic development organization and chamber of commerce for Wabash County, said the designation shows that certain due diligence efforts—such as environmental surveys—have already been completed, allowing businesses to begin building on a site more quickly.
The designation is part of OCRA’s Indiana Site Certified program, which was created to show the readiness level of properties for economic development.
“Grow Wabash County’s hard work and commitment made this accomplishment possible and will now help to better market the site to prospective developers,” OCRA Executive Director Duke Bennett said in a news release.
The “gold” designation is the second of three tiers in the Site Certified program, between “silver” and “prime.”
Grow Wabash County said the site is being prepared for future industrial development in response to growing demand for land in Wabash County.
“Having 232 acres of contiguous land to market to prospective businesses is a tremendous asset for Wabash County,” CEO Tenille Zartman said. “The demand for large tracts of land is steadily increasing, and to stay competitive, we must ensure that land and infrastructure are ready to attract and secure future investments. These efforts are key to fostering quality job growth in Wabash County.”
The Wabash property also received a site-ready designation through the Duke Energy Site Readiness Program earlier this year.