City Acquires 174 Acres

Posted on: March 2, 2021 - 8:48am
City Acquires 174 Acres

Constitution-Tribune
Monday, January 3, 2011

Mayor Charles E. Haney announced this weekend that the City of Chillicothe has entered into a contract for the purchase of approximately 174 acres to be used for an industrial park. In making the announcement, the mayor stated, "I am extremely proud to announce that the City Council has unanimously voted to purchase 174 acres to be used for a new industrial park expansion. Our existing 170 acre park is nearly full and the Council and I feel it is necessary to purchase this acreage in order to attract new industrial businesses to Chillicothe. This is a major investment for the City, but one we all feel will pay dividends to the citizens by way of new jobs to the community." The council passed an ordinance in executive session on Dec. 13, 2010 to approve the land purchase.

The purchase price for the land is $1,250,000. The City will be using funds it has reserved for economic development purposes. The City will pay cash for the purchase, buying the property from the following funds:

$625,000 from MODAG/UDAG Funds, which is grant money received by the City in prior years and is restricted for business and commercial uses and cannot be used for other city purposes;

$100,000 from Chillicothe Municipal Utilities, which will supply water, sewer and refuse service to the park;

$525,000 from City Railroad reserve funds, which were obtained from the sale of surplus rails on unused portions of the city owned railroad. The railroad is adjacent to and will serve the new industrial park.

The present industrial park started in 1990 only has two sites left - an 11-acre site and a 22-acre site with 50,000 square feet Spec building. The building is expandable to 150,000 square feet. Both parks are in the new Enhanced Enterprise Zone and Foreign Trade Zone as well as being designated an AT&T fiber optic park.

Mayor Haney also commented, saying, "We have partnered with Chillicothe Municipal Utilities on this purchase and greatly appreciate their help and foresight on the need to be proactive in the constant quest for new jobs to the area. It's great to see these two entities partner together for the benefit of the community."

The City of Chillicothe is contracted with Rumery & Associates to market the city for economic development. Terry Rumery of R&A commented, "This new industrial park will be a tremendous help in marketing Chillicothe to companies looking for a site to locate their facilities. The existing park has been a huge success, and opening up a new area will only enhance our chances of continued growth. Without property in hand, you absolutely cannot be competitive with other areas in the attraction of economic development. With Chillicothe being a member of the Kansas City Area Development Council, this allows them more to offer on Chillicothe's behalf. The park literally has all any company could possibly want with rail, natural gas, extremely competitive electric rates, great municipal water and sewer service, and customized incentive packages."

The new industrial park is located on U.S. Highway 36, which is a four-lane highway that is the shortest route between Chicago and Kansas City, now designated as the Chicago-Kansas City Expressway. Chillicothe, the business hub of North Central Missouri, is only 75 miles from KCI and is the largest community between St. Joseph and Hannibal, Mo.

For more information on the industrial park and its amenities, please contact Terry Rumery of Rumery & Associates at 660-646-1900.