Progress on Marion Industrial Park Slower Than Expected

The MEDCO Enterprise Center was supposed to bring industrial jobs to Marion. So far, it hasn't. 

The project is a recently completed industrial park on the east side of Marion. It contains approximately 184 acres of industrial zoned land that was intended to attract businesses by offering shovel ready land — property just waiting to be developed.

The Marion Economic Development Company is the holding company for the project and because they have not attracted business yet, they haven't been able to pay off the debt incurred by developing the area. So the Marion City Council will vote Thursday on whether or not to give out tax incentives through tax increment financing to MEDCO to make sure the project stays above water.

President of MEDCO, George Lake, said although they did plan to have at least one business committed by now, it simply hasn't happened.

"People always expect more," he said. "The reality is we just finished paving the roads a month ago." 

Lake said the economy is the culprit. The uncertain economic climate makes businesses more cautious when it comes to making large decisions like moving.

But Lake said all this disappointment does not take one important thing into consideration: there has been tons of interest among businesses.

"Two weeks ago a company from India visited our park," he said. "We have had several companies from Germany and Denmark from Spain and from France. We have shovel ready industrial ground in Marion that companies are looking."

So, even though the situation looks dim so far, Lake said the future of development in the area is bright.

"Would I love to see ground being broken now? You bet," he said. "But I have no doubt in the world that we will see new construction taking place out in our industrial park."

The president presiding over the project isn't the only one expressing optimism in the project. When Steve Sprague, a Marion City Council member, was asked about the possibility of no business developments defraying the large cost of the project, he was confident. 

"The city does not intend to pay for that entire industrial park," he said. "If we found ourselves in that position we would have a disaster, but I don’t think it is going to happen."