Every growing and expanding community needs one really important element to foster expanded job opportunities: Shovel Ready Sites.
A shovel ready site is a piece of land that has been designated in advance with the proper zoning and has the entire infrastructure needed such as roads, water, sewer, electrical and gas utilities located on the site. All a prospective industry needs to do is purchase the land and build the building.
Recently, at the Valparaiso Economic Development Corporation Annual Meeting, over 100 civic leaders and business professionals attended to hear Kevin Tobin of Tobin Development, Pete Peuquet of Chester, Inc., and Stu Summers of the Redevelopment Commission speak about the need for shovel ready sites. These three experts explained that when a firm is looking to expand or relocate to an area they are usually working on a very tight and stringent time frame. If the proposed plant cannot receive the necessary infrastructure, then the company cannot deliver on its contracts to its customers.
To eliminate any possible glitches to a proposed new factory or business location, most firms only desire to look at sites which have all they need already at the proposed site in advance of purchasing the land.
Valparaiso has a shortage of shovel ready sites. The Valpo Chamber and the City of Valparaiso are working hard to identify sites which can become shovel ready. The Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission has been working diligently to get utilities and proper zoning in the south east area of the community along the US 30 and IN 49 highways.
Maintaining the momentum for attracting and retaining high paying jobs and quality companies takes good planning, extension of utilities, and assembling land parcels to make an attractive and inviting package for companies desiring to invest in a community.
Keeping a community competitive for high-paying jobs is not an easy or inexpensive process. Having shovel ready sites is paramount in attracting good industry and high-paying jobs.
Rex G. Richards
President
richards@valparaisochamber.org
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