Daily Dose

It happened this week

10 YEARS AGO -- 1996

The Army Corps of Engineers approved a permit allowing the Hyatt Corp. to build a mooring area and operate a riverboat casino in Rising Sun, Ind. The permit gave Hyatt the go-ahead to complete all phases of construction for the Grand Victoria Casino and Resort. The Grand Victoria became Indiana's second Ohio River casino boat when it opened in September 1996.

Switzerland County officials have voted to move forward on a new 117-acre business park near the Markland Bridge.

Switzerland County officials are planning an aggressive entrance into the highly competitive economic development arena.

Voting recently to move forward on a new 117-acre business park near the Markland Bridge, county leaders have taken a significant step of providing development sites to prospective businesses. County leaders expect the site to be attractive to those supplying the new Honda facility in Greensburg, Indiana, and businesses wanting to be near the fast-growing northern Kentucky region.

"This is perfect timing for Switzerland County,¨ said Jon Bond, president of the Switzerland County Economic Development Corporation. "We will be able to offer shovel-ready sites on the edge of two fast-growing regions at a time when they are desperately needed."

Economic growth in Switzerland County for years has been stunted by the remote location, but new highway construction in the region will create a strategic advantage for advanced manufacturing, distribution and logistics-based companies interested in locating in southeastern Indiana, southwestern Ohio or northern Kentucky. The extension of Kentucky 1039 will connect the county to I-71 and the reconstruction of Indiana 129 will make the county more accessible to truck traffic.

"The new highway in Kentucky made this an easier decision for the county council," said Switzerland County Council President Mike Jones. "We want to be competitive in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region and offer sites to potential Honda suppliers."

With the proximity to the Belterra Casino and Resort (approximately one mile), the county is considering a mixed use development that would provide acreage for businesses that might cater to the casino, as well as sites for light manufacturing development.

"Belterra's presence in the community has provided us with resources we otherwise never would have had," said Jones. "It is our responsibility to use those resources to grow and diversify the county's economy and provide good-paying jobs for residents."

Switzerland County is in the southeast corner of Indiana, along the Ohio River, approximately a one-hour drive from Cincinnati, Ohio, Louisville and Lexington, Ky., and two hours from Indianapolis, Indiana, and Dayton, Ohio.

Markland Business Park -- Fact Sheet

-- NAME: Markland Business Park

-- LOCATION: North of the Markland Bridge at Indiana State Highway 156; five minutes from I-71 once the Kentucky connector highway is completed in September 2006; one mile from the Belterra Casino and Resort in Vevay, Ind.

-- Size: Phase 1 of the project is 115 acres. Additional ground is available for future phases.

-- STATUS: The Switzerland County Council members recently voted to option the property and the county has begun the process to purchase it.

-- WHO BENEFITS: Markland Business Park will create higher paying jobs for the residents of Switzerland County and will create significant tax revenue for the County, State and local schools.

-- BUSINESS ADVANTAGES: The project offers shovel-ready sites with convenient access to interstates, as well as recreational and cultural amenities.

-- WHATS NEXT: An infrastructure development plan is being formulated and local regulatory matters are being addressed.

-- TIMELINE: Sites should be available in Markland Business Park by early 2007.