Local leaders attend Technology Park Open House
KNIGHTSTOWN — On Tuesday, Oct. 14, developers hosted their second community open house about the proposed Henry County Technology Park.
The event took place at the Cary Center on Washington Street in Knightstown. Between 30 and 50 Henry County residents stopped by to express their support, share their concerns and ask questions about the proposed development.
The planned technology park would go at the northwest corner of the Interstate 70 / State Road 109 interchange.
Developers Greg Martz, of GM Development, and Chris King, of Surge Technologies and Runnebohm Construction, both said the Oct. 14 open house provided an additional opportunity for anyone who might have missed the first community event in August.
Local leaders attended the event to answer questions and have an open dialogue about what the future of Knightstown and Henry County may look like.
Kevin Richey, a member of Knightstown’s Town Council, said he was glad the developers were there to engage the community.
“They don’t really have to do this,” Richey said. He expressed how their openness to meet with residents and hear their concerns showed that they were “going the extra mile.”
“A lot of projects fail because people don’t have information,” Richey said.
Project website provides plan details
The developers noted that some people may have attended the first open house without the opportunity to talk to them one-on-one due to the overwhelming number of people in attendance. The August open house was attended by close to 300 people.
Besides being there to talk, the developers provided poster boards and a video explaining the development.
The Henry County Technology Park website, www.HCTechPark.com, was available via QR code on an informational flyer. On the website, the developers outlined the project and provided information to address a lot of the concerns that people have expressed about the development of a technology park or a data center.
The project was described as “a visionary 585+ acre development at the strategic intersection of I-70 and SR-109, perfectly positioned along major gas transmission corridors and fiber infrastructure.”
Weimers hope project will help Henry County
The land described is currently zoned as farmland owned by David Weimer and his family. Weimer was present at Tuesday’s open house and shared his views on the new potential development that his land offers Henry County.
Weimer said his family has been farming and caring for the land on the northwest corner of I-70 for generations. He said they care about the land and the future of Henry Country and Knightstown.
Over the years, with there being an exit at the I-70/109 interchange, many people have been interested in purchasing the Weimer farmland. He has had to consider the many ways in which the family land could be used.
Weimer is entering his retirement years and said, “It is the time for the next generation to figure the best use for the land.”
He said the family held out for as long as they could, but the time for holding out is ending.
Weimer sold land to Henry Community Health in 2021 so the recently-opened John D. Pidgeon Health Campus could be built. In doing so, he saw the benefits that his family’s land could provide the community.
Weimer’s goal with the new technology park is to revitalize the community and attract new businesses and residents to the area to help better the economy of the county.
“I really want to see the revival of the community,” Weimer said. “This is probably the biggest opportunity that has ever come to our family, an opportunity to do something that would have a positive impact on not just Knightstown, but the entire county.”
Comments from other local leaders
Long-time Henry County businessman John Pidgeon also spoke out Tuesday about his support for the development.
“If not a data center, then what?” Pidgeon asked.
Change is inevitable, he said, and something will come to that interchange just like every other interchange from Knightstown to Indianapolis.
Pidgeon argued that having a plan for what kind of development goes there is better for the Knightstown community than seeing more trucking depots like in Mt. Comfort or hotels like Greenfield.
Knightstown Town Council president Roger Hammer attended Tuesday’s event to provide positive support for the proposed project.
He said, “I want not just growth, but stability.”
Martz and King hoped the open house expressed their commitment to Henry County. The phrase that ran on their informational video read, “as we look to the future, we carry the spirit of Henry County with us.”
For more information about the safeguards, infrastructure plan, tax plan and energy strategy presented by the developers, visit their website at www.HCTechPark.com.
Hammer, Pidgeon, Richey and Weimer also spoke Thursday evening during the Henry County Planning Commission meeting where Martz and King took the first step in the formal project approval process. Find coverage of the Planning Commission meeting in The Courier-Times.
– Story by Megan Haynes for The Courier-Times and reprinted with permission. Read more local stories at TheCourierTimes.com.
