Ames, Iowa (RI) — The Iowa Transportation Commission approved funding this week for roadways to an area in Spencer where businesses could relocate after the flooding of 2024.
The DOT’s Deb Arp says multiple businesses have expressed interest in relocating after the flooding. She says Spencer does not have many industrial lots, and over the next five years, the city will have very limited capital to invest in development.
The estimated cost of the project is around $1.1 million.
Design of the roadway is expected to be complete by January 2026, and construction is expected to be complete by November of 2026.
The Transportation Commission also approved funding for roadway improvements to help two major businesses planned in Perry. (Perry is about 30 miles northwest of Des Moines.) Arp says the money is from the Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy or “RISE” fund. Part of the money is for the proposed Perry sausage plant.
The other company wants to build in the Perry Industrial Park.
Arp says the RISE request falls under the categories that help improve access to businesses and allow for the immediate creation of new jobs.
She says this represents RISE support for 71 percent of the projects. The proposed Perry sausage plant has also received $12 million in tax benefits from the Iowa Economic Development Authority board. The ADR plant was also awarded state tax benefits for the promise of creating new jobs. Arp says both companies plan to break ground soon and be operational by the end of 2026.
KIWA Staff Photo
