Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Lisa Dan gave an update to both the Starke County Commissioners and the Starke County Council members last week on activities of the Foundation.
Dan said she met with members of the North Judson Town Council to touch base on needs there. The Foundation will continue to search for industrial development in the North Judson area, but that will not be the main focus of their efforts.
Efforts are also being made to occupy the vacant Toll Brothers building in the Industrial Park in Knox and the former Sabre building on State Road 8 east of Knox.
Lisa Dan said the Starke Tank program will be moving toward a county-wide event, rather than focusing solely in the North Judson area. Starke Tank is for small businesses looking to locate in Starke County or who have located in Starke County and have been in business for less than three years. They will pitch ideas on what they would like to use the prize money for pertaining to their business. She said the Starke County Economic Development Foundation Board of Directors made the decision to open it up to the county.
“By opening it up to a county-level, more applicants will participate,” commented Dan. “There are a lot of new businesses – start-ups – and growing that could qualify to be a participant in Starke Tank.”
Additionally, conversations have been ongoing concerning a new hotel or motel in Starke County, and a water and sewer infrastructure expansion to accommodate new construction in the Rural Opportunity Zone between Knox and Hamlet in the future.
Finally, Dan said a contract with Wabash Valley Power was finalized to purchase an easement in the Industrial Park for a substation project.
