Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 129, Number 8, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 23 February 2006 — Page 17

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,* FILE PHOTO Left to right: Sam Beachy, Russell Miller and Dan Metzler look over the downtown project plans.

Nappanee witnessing growth on all sides

By Anthony Godson Editor m < /Nappanee relies heavily on its industries, and it appears that t*fe industries also have a fondness for Nappanee. like the qualitv of the Workforce," Nappanee Area (Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Larrv Andrews n ‘ • ’/ sijid about industrial companies spying in the community. "Our workforce works hard and has good skills." ••Nappanee's ability to retain industry is no more evident then out west of the city, at the Boss West Side Industrial Park. -"Land owned by Roger Buss has been sold at the industrial park since 1999, but the days of selling industrial space are over. -"Buss West Side is now full,". Avid re ws said. "There are spaces that don't have buildiSg>, but all the industrial land h&wjeen purchased. Most of the tfh'sinessei locating to the area as-e ones that actually already ejtist." ‘Over the past year, Persing Tire & Lube, Nappanee Window and Bontrager C oncrete Specialties are among those Nappanee businesses which outgrew ►their former dwellings, propelling them to reestablish themselves at the-in-dustrial park. /The industrial space has all b?en sold, but there is still a portion of land located on U.S. 6 which is advertised as commercial space.

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Z ADVANCE NEWS PHOTOS/A.W. GADSON Before and After: The plot of land that used to be bare (top) has become the new location of Nappanee Window. Nappanee Window moved to the Buss West Side Industrial Park during 2005, after it had been located further inside the Nappanee limits.

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"The space could be a strip mall or a place for services," Andrews said. "What we do know is that it's not going to be industrial." . # ■ While efforts continue to sell the commercial property, Andrews is pleased to see that all the industrial space has been sold. "It's really pleasing to see it all come together, after working on it for seven years," he said. Along with its border expanding to the west, Nappanee may also be annexing land to the east as more land is purchased at the corner of County Road 9 and U.S. 6. "The land is located near the railroad, and it's been purchased and is ready to be developed," Andrews said. "The land is valuable because of the railroad." The land is expected to produce another .manufacturing business, but to date nothing concrete has been proposed. Plans for more businesses to move in on the north side of the city are also ongoing. Currently, OSMC is going through the process of building an office just north of Nappanee Ford on State Road 19. In years to come, OSMC may have some neighbors. "The land is zoned for professional offices and residential homes," Andrews said. "It's not zoned for fast food restaurants or a gas station. If businesses do move to the area, the city would

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also like to see an access road built, to cut down on curb cuts." The city is adamant about not having curb cuts along SR 19, as the land is located directly west of North Wood High School. Instead of curb cuts, the city may prefer for an access road to be built behind the businesses. DOWNTOWN As businesses continue to establish themselves on the outskirts of Nappanee, the middle of Nappanee isn't seeing that. "We're doing a lot to encourage businesses to move into the downtown," Andrews said. "I go out and talk to a lot of shops in the region, to see if they'd be interested in setting up a second, or third, shop here in Nappanee. I'm just trying to get them to come out and take a look." In attracting the business community to the downtown area, the Nappanee Redevelopment Commission is gearing up to spend the $1.6 million it received from a grant administered through the Transportation Enhancement Act to improve the downtown landscape. The improvements to the Nappanee downtown will be completed in two phases, with Phase 1 expected to begin this summer. Phase 1 will include work along Main Street, between Walnut Street to the north and the CSX Railroad tracks to the south. Among the improvements made during Phase 1 will

Progress

ADVANCE NEWS PHOTO/A.W. GADSON : All industrial lots at the Buss West Side Industrial Park have been filled, with Persing Tire (back- 1 ground) being one of the industries to relocate from downtown Nappanee to the west side. -

be new sidewalks and curbing, new planters for trees and bushes, new light poles, an improved intersection at Main and Market streets, as well as a new parking lot at the train depot. Phase 2 is expected to begin the following year, when similar improvements will be made on Market Street, between Clark Street to the west and Elm Street to the east. Along with the improved sidewalks and curbing on Market Street, public parking lots and alleyways will also be renovated during Phase 2. "We want to brighten up the downtown," Andrews said. "We want to make citizens, and visitors, feel more positive about the whole community. It may also encourage downtown merchants to make improvements to their buildings." In helping merchants improve their downtown buildings, the Business Improvement District (BID) is offering merchants a $3,000 grant through its Nappanee Improving Facades

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Advance News • Thursday, February 16, 2006 •

Today and in Years to Come (NIFTY) Program. "I'm proud of the fact that we got our BID set up," Andrews said about the committee. "It's geared toward making a lot of downtown improvements." The BID is a collection of downtown business owners, who pay an additional tax each year. That additional tax is then put into a fund, which can then be spent anyway the BID sees fit. One way the BID is using the money is through the NIFTY Program. AMISH COMMUNITY Andrews has been working diligently to attract business to Nappanee, but he's also been working to help businesses that already exist just outside of Nappanee Shingle Shoppes. Almost 150 Shingle Shoppes throughout Jhe Nappanee countryside, where Amish business people self furniture, crafts, baked goods and

other items. To help the Amish with their businesses, the Nappanee Area Chamber of Commerce, the Elkhart County Convention and Visitor's Bureau, the Elkhart County Economic Development Corporation and Learning Generation received a $90,400 grant from the Indiana Rural Development Council, while also receiving a $5,000 grant from the Elkhart County Community Foundation. The grants are designed to create and implement the cottage industry and the agritourism business development program. The Nappanee Redevelopment Commission has been using some of the grant money to educate Amish businessmen on how to better their businesses. "We are having Amish, and vyill be hosting a marketing class shortly,A?‘Andrews said.

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