Kingsbury Industrial Park roadway project moves forward; county says property ownership needed to access state or federal funds

LaPorte County staff updated the Redevelopment Commission on the Kingsbury Industrial Park (KIP) roadway project on Sept. 24, explaining that federal and state funds cannot be spent on private property the county does not own.

Matt Reardon said the county's ability to access outside funding depends on property becoming publicly owned or controlled. "We can't access federal or state dollars to spend money on property we don't own or control," he said, and added that property owners will need to participate to make parcels eligible for roadway upgrades.

Reardon announced a project groundbreaking scheduled for Oct. 15 at 2 p.m., hosted at Alexander Chemical. An Alexander Chemical representative said the facility is a "controlled facility" that requires an RSVP a week to two weeks in advance and noted the company is celebrating its 75th anniversary while planning a 40,000-square-foot expansion.

Reardon also previewed a future update from JBC Rail, which will present at the Commission's next meeting with details on investment and a switcher contract that covers a five-year window. Commissioners were encouraged to attend that session to hear about rail investments and operational details.

Commission discussion stressed the need for coordinated planning across property owners, utilities and local governments to ensure infrastructure capacity is sized for long-term, corridor-scale development rather than piecemeal projects.

Next steps noted in the meeting included continued outreach to property owners about participation and scheduling the October groundbreaking event.