Chamber Vision March & April | Page 10

10 March 2017

RDA Happenings

Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau
KANSASWORKS JOB FAIR
From 11:00 a . m . to 2:00 p . m . on Friday , February 17th was the Job Fair for the unemployed Birch Communications workers and any other job seeker . Approximately 24 companies were at the job fair with 60 to 70 job seekers .
There are job opportunities all through the Emporia region . We thank those employers , and job seekers who attended .
Kent Heermann President , Regional
Development Association of East Central Kansas
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOC . of EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
The Regional Development
Association of East Central Kansas ( RDA ) is the lead economic development organization for Lyon County and the Emporia area . The four members of the RDA are the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce , Emporia Enterprises , the City of Emporia , and Lyon
County . The RDA is located with the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce and the Convention and
Visitors Bureau at the
Trusler Business Center , 719 Commercial , Emporia , KS 66801 . Kent Heerman
RDA President , can be contacted at 620-342-1600 ext . 16 , or kheermann @ emporiarda . org .
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
During February , the planning group Urban Collaborative , hosted several meetings to discuss the topics of land use , economic development , transportation , housing , infrastructure , and public facilities .
Over the past twenty four years , the RDA , in conjunction with Emporia Enterprises , which owns large industrial sites adjacent to the City of Emporia , in Lyon County , have developed 360 acres with new and expanding companies . Emporia Enterprises is the land development arm of our economic development goal for job creation and investment .
Industrial Park II , where Detroit Reman , Glendo , Emporia Kenworth , Kansa Technology , Cargill , and EVCO are located , 37 acres were developed and new buildings or expansions occurred . Park II is the area east of Overlander Road , south of Highway 50 , west of Graphic Arts Road , and north of 6th Avenue .
The Park III area , which is located south of East South Avenue , north of East Logan Avenue , and west of Weaver Street . Three new developments occurred in the park , CAMSO , Simmons east & west , and the Lenze building , which is currently leased by CAMSO . Those three companies utilized 133 acres for their operations .
The East Park III area is east of Park III , generally between East South Avenue , west of Road M5 , north of East Logan Avenue , and east of Weaver Street . The developments are Norfolk Iron & Metal , Hill ’ s Pet Nutrition , and the stalled Renewable Energy Group project . All three of these developments either have rail spur access or could get rail service access .
In 2015 , an 18-acre tract was purchased for the Detroit Reman warehouse .
In the current industrial and business park inventory , Emporia Enterprises has 210 acres available for development , or a 13-year supply . Of those 210 acres , we have one 100-acre site , one 45-acre site , two 22 to 26-acre sites , and several sites varying from 7.6 to 9 acres with no rail served sites . Emporia Enterprises Board of Directors works in collaboration with the RDA and its partners , the city , and county , identifying and acquiring sites for future development . It is an ongoing process that takes time ,