LaPorte Co. Industrial Park Awarded $1M for railroad spur
LaPORTE COUNTY, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — The Indiana Economic Development Corp. has awarded LaPorte County a $1 million grant that will help connect the Kingsbury Industrial Park to a main rail line of CSX Transportation.
The county Redevelopment Commission Wednesday approved an agreement between the state and the county to connect the KIP rail spur with CSX on the north side of the industrial park.
“With this increased connectivity, KIP, which was previously designated by CSX as a ‘Select Site’ for prospective developers will be one of the few industrial parks in the nation that can be served by two Class I rail carriers,” said RDC President Randy Novak.
The industrial park is also hoping to connect with the Canadian National Railway on the south side of the KIP. The commission says being able to offer connections to two major railways will be a big incentive for manufacturers to establish operations at Kingsbury.
Novak says the $1 million funding will help pay for the spur project which is estimated at approximately $6 million. Novak says it’s an investment worth making.
“This connection is expected to increase opportunities for economic investment and job creation in LaPorte County and the surrounding region,” said Novak.
The IEDC grant is performance-based which means LaPorte County must hit certain milestones to collect the money.
The industrial park is currently served by the South Shore Rail Line.