A largely rural area on the northeast edge of Plymouth could soon be replaced with an industrial district. The Plymouth Common Council is being asked to rezone and annex almost 900 acres for the planned Indiana Innovation Center, being developed by Indiana Tool & Manufacturing.
ITAMCO Chairman Gary Neidig says it’s designed to give startup companies room to grow. “It’s coming out of our plant, hopefully, incubating manufacturers, who would come out of, perhaps, Colfax Corner or Notre Dame or wherever they might come from this area," Neidig said during the Indianapolis Business Journal’s Innovate North Central Indiana event last week.
The developers say the site could eventually be designated a certified technology park or an innovation development district, capturing the increase in tax revenues for improvements. “If we can just give some nurturing to some of these companies, I think that they’ll be able to start their own businesses, perhaps build buildings and become a part of the Plymouth, Marshall County and larger regional ecosystem," Neidig said.
The rezoning got a favorable recommendation from the Plymouth Plan Commission on Wednesday.
But the city’s comprehensive plan envisions keeping the area rural, and reaction during the public hearing was mixed. While many residents welcomed the idea of new jobs, they felt the city’s existing areas should be developed first.
Dan Sharp said he has land he’s willing to sell. "We have a lot of industrial areas to expand with utility and infrastructure already in place, and we really need to decide where we want to go as a city," Sharp told the plan commission.
There was also a debate about whether the city should wait to rezone, until users come forward with actual plans.
Chelsea Smith said it’s hard to know the impact on the city’s infrastructure and services, since nothing specific has been announced. "The city repeatedly stated that no development has been proposed, and therefore, there is nothing to evaluate," Smith noted. "I think that’s precisely the problem."
But having a large site with the necessary zoning already in place will make it more attractive to potential businesses, according to Kevin Buchheit, a planner representing the current landowners. "When you’re looking at a site that’s a cohesive, compact 900-acre site, that gets attention from site selectors," Buchheit said.
He said the site’s designed for growth, with Veterans Parkway providing easy access to U.S. 31. "Veterans Parkway is an economic development corridor and a catalyst for private investment, to help boost the city’s nonresidential property tax base," Buchheit told the plan commission.
At the same time, city officials are trying to reassure residents that “innovation center” doesn’t necessarily mean “data center.” In a statement Thursday, Mayor Robert Listenberger stressed that no development proposal has been presented to the city. He added that “There is a difference between a lack of transparency and a lack of certainty about the future.”
During Wednesday’s meeting, Plymouth Planning Director Ty Adley said the only way a data center could be approved is with a variance from the board of zoning appeals. "It is not a listed use, at all," Adley explained. "Data centers you will not find in our zoning ordinance."
Still, the mayor says the city’s seen success in prior decades with adding new industrial areas for future development. Neidig says he envisions “many, many companies” moving to the Indiana Innovation Center, and he’s excited about the opportunities.
“We need a place to help the foundling companies that are just starting and give them manufacturing space, and so, that’s what our hope is to be able to do with our plan," Neidig said during the Innovate North Central Indiana event.
A public hearing on the annexation portion of the request is scheduled for Monday night’s common council meeting. Final approval of the rezoning and annexation could take place November 23.
