Industrial Parks - A Way Out?

We’re trying to start the engine and it just won’t turn over. I’m speaking of course of this dismal economic climate we find ourselves in. No matter what we try, we just can’t find the catalyst to get things moving and its affecting both public and private organizations.

Today I want to focus on the public side of the house. In working with several of my public clients, they have focused on industrial park development to help jump start their community out of this economic mess. And while this can provide an enormous economic benefit to a community (see the Kansas Logistics Park in Newton, KS http://www.kansaslogisticspark.com), it can be a losing proposition if certain aspects in the planning process are not taken into account. So, what are some of those key points to look to? I offer the following:

• What industry are you trying to attract?
• Land Size
• Infrastructure availability
• Zoning and Land Use
• Local Market Conditions and Business Environment
• Transportation Logistics
• Local Politics
• Aggressive Economic Development Marketing

There are more detailed factors that need to be examined but these are the main themes that come to mind. What other issues affect this? What other factors come into play? Let’s chat about it. Feel free to comment on this article, or if you have more questions, feel free to e-mail me at jrlackey@transystems.com.