$1,600,000.00 was approved Tuesday for a project in New Carlisle. St. Joseph County Economic Development officials are looking to turn a farming area of New Carlisle into an industrial park. ABC 57.com’s Andrea Alvarez spoke with the Executive Director of Economic Development in St. Joseph County and he says you’ll be seeing much of this project come to fruition by May of this year.

“We’ve been working awfully hard out in the New Carlisle area to get pieces and parts aligned so that we can move projects forward,” said Bill Schalliol, Executive Director of Economic Development in St. Joseph County.

Part of New Carlisle is starting to seeing big changes this new year. 

“That’s an area that we the county see as one of our growth areas for the county in 2017,” said Schalliol.

The St. Joseph County Redevelopment Commission is looking to turn some of the rural farm area there into an industrial park and even add a few businesses.

“One of the items we approved today was the preliminary budget for the New Carlisle economic development area,” said Schalliol.

That preliminary budget: $1,600,000. This is a small part of a larger budget which the commission is looking to approve in February.

For now, the 1.6 million will go toward two things:

“A water and sewer project that they’re currently building out in that area and also have funds available to do property acquisition,” said Schalliol.

And they’re looking to gain more property there—fast.

“We’re in the process right now we own two of those seven and are currently under negotiations on four of the other properties,” said Schalliol.

Bill Schalliol says he’s excited to start seeing results.

“We, in 2016, did a lot of work to re-align the development area and put together some goals and objectives. We really see 2017 as the year that those projects are going to come to fruition,” said Schalliol.

To see former public meeting notes and graphics on the economic development plan, click here.