Company ‘on par with GM’ interested in New Carlisle

 

NEW CARLISLE, Ind.-- New Carlisle is gearing up for a massive new development, an electric vehicle battery plant for General Motors (GM) and Samsung. But ABC57 learned that is just the beginning for the area. 

More economic opportunities are rapidly coming to the New Carlisle area, largely prompted by the battery plant.   

Another company is expressing interest, but the economic development director for St. Joseph County, Bill Schalliol, says it’s too early to reveal that company's name. He said it’s another big industrial user and the project could be similar in scale to the GM plant. 

“Lots of jobs, lots of investment, and lots of wins for the community if this project were to come together,” he said. 

He said it is a name most people would recognize. 

“I would say it’s a name on par with General Motors,” he said. “That it could be that big of an announcement for the community.”

In Thursday’s redevelopment commission meeting, two agreements passed. 

One, a development facilitation agreement, is between the commission, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, and RazorFive, a private development company. 

It allows these players to test some private land in the area for new development. 

A second agreement allows the redevelopment commission access to private property to test it out—before selling it to the unknown private company interested in the site. 

The land is agricultural and would have to be rezoned. The private landowner would sell the 640 acres directly to the private company. 

“Once the General Motors announcement was made, we got a lot of phone calls. Once they started moving dirt, we got almost triple the phone calls,” Schalliol said. “These will be new businesses to the area, so new jobs, new opportunities, and new investment. So, it’s a good opportunity and good time to be in the county right now.” 

The preliminary work, testing out the land, should be done within 45 to 90 days, then, more information about more changes possibly coming to New Carlisle could be available.   

There are still plenty of locals who aren't happy about any of this redevelopment. 

After all, this is pouring concrete over generations of farmland, and people are worried that factories could contaminate the underground aquifer, that truck traffic will only get worse, and that there isn't enough housing for all the new workers. 

There will be a meeting Monday at 5:30 p.m. for the New Carlisle community, at the library, where Schalliol will give a presentation and can answer questions.