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County economic development official previews $350 million battery project for Kingsbury Industrial Park
Summary
Matt Reardon, the county's economic development director, told commissioners the battery storage proposal conforms to existing M-2 zoning and represents roughly a $350 million investment; commissioners discussed buffers and tax implications and expect zoning amendments to return in September.
Matt Reardon, Department of Economic Development, told the La Porte County Board of Commissioners that a proposed battery storage project in Kingsbury Industrial Park is allowed under current M-2 zoning and is "approximately $350,000,000." Reardon said the county has steered such investments into the industrial park to concentrate tax benefits and avoid converting active farmland.
Reardon described potential tax benefits and regulatory steps but did not ask the board to approve the project itself. He said the project meets current zoning and staff asked the company to contact local fire departments consistent with state statute. Reardon cited a current tax revenue figure for the area of about $7,400 and an assessed-value-based estimate of roughly $140,000,000 leading to about $22,000,000 in assessed value calculations as part of the presentation; the transcript contains inconsistent references to a separate $2,000,000 figure, so commissioners and staff left tax projections for further review. Commissioners and staff discussed environmental context and suggested a 500-foot residential buffer when the plan returns to the plan commission; Reardon said he expects to return to the commission in September with proposed zoning amendments and recommendations.
