La Porte County Industrial Park Designated "State Certified Shovel Ready"

LA PORTE, Ind. (January 31st, 2008) — North Pointe Business Park has been awarded the “Shovel Ready” designation, paving the way for businesses to quickly locate their businesses on a property that is ready for development. The site in La Porte is the first site to earn the designation in Northwest Indiana.

A shovel ready site is an area that has undergone extensive legal and environmental review and qualifies for expedited permitting with state regulatory agencies. The Shovel Ready Program lowers the cost of site development, improves efficiency of state permitting and enhances the marketability of the site. Because site information is available before development, potential risks of investing and improving new land are reduced for businesses.

“With more and more companies looking for sites where they can have a shovel in the ground as quickly as possible, this program gives Indiana an advantage when it comes to competing with other states for new investments and new jobs,” said Nathan Feltman, Secretary of Commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

North Pointe Business Park is owned by Viking Development. The parcel is located on State Highway 39 North a half mile south of the La Porte Toll Road Exit and across from Briar Leaf Golf Course. There are approximately 24 developable acres available in the business park to accommodate commercial and industrial businesses. “We are excited to be certified as a Shovel Ready Site,” stated Tim Larson of Larson Danielson Construction Company. “This will help assure anyone wanting to build in our development that there will not be any long delays in securing permits. This site is ready to build on.”

The Greater La Porte Economic Development Corporation submitted North Pointe Business Park for the application. “North Pointe Business Park has all of the attributes to be successful for development. Above all is the location so close to the Indiana Toll Road,” said Timothy Gropp, Executive Director of GLEDC.

Jerry Cooley, La Porte County Councilman stated, “Economic development is a priority in La Porte County and we are pleased to have one more advantage in attracting new business.”

Passed in the 2005 legislative session as part of Governor Daniels' jobs agenda, Shovel Ready sites are certified by the state’s Fast Access Site Team (FASTeam). The Shovel Ready sites are listed on the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s Site and Building Database at http://siteselection.in.gov/. This online resource allows site selection consultants and businesses to research available commercial and industrial properties that are available for quick development and investment.

For more information on the “Shovel Ready” program or North Pointe Business Park please contact the Greater La Porte Economic Development Corporation @ (219)324-8584 or www.gledc.com.