Lawrenceburg, In. — Indiana governor Eric Holcomb has announced the Ports of Indiana has entered into a purchase agreement for 725 acres of land about one mile southwest of downtown Lawrenceburg. The site could be the potential home of a fourth port in Indiana.
The land is the former site of an American Electric power facility. Officials say the project would cost about $8 million.
“While we’re only beginning this process, it’s hard not to be excited by the prospect of a fourth port in Indiana,” Gov. Holcomb said. “The economic benefits to the region and the state as a whole would be game changing—providing new jobs and development opportunities.”
The agreement will allow the Ports of Indiana to begin the process of examining the environmental and economic impact of the project. If the site is determined to be suitable for the project the purchase could close by December of 2018.
“Indiana’s ports are important economic drivers for our state, connecting Indiana to the world every day,” said Rich Cooper, CEO for the Ports of Indiana. “We welcome this opportunity to explore the possibility of a fourth port for our state and are eager to move quickly to determine the viability of this land for use as a port to attract major investments and further spur southeast Indiana’s economy.”
State Representative Randy Frye has been a champion of the proposal and said, “A fourth port of Indiana would not simply be a place where barges come to load and unload cargo, but an industrial complex attracting business, commerce and industry to our area of the state. The announcement made by the governor indicating steps are being taken to purchase land in Lawrenceburg and Aurora is welcoming news for our communities. This location is ideal to establish a port due to the proximity of the Ohio River, access to rail and Interstate 275, and near the metropolitan area of Greater Cincinnati and its international airport.”
Indiana currently has three state ports operating on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan, with locations in Jeffersonville, Mount Vernon and Burns Harbor/Portage. Indiana has not opened a new port since 1985. Over the years, the Ports of Indiana has expanded each of its ports and now operates approximately 2,800 acres along Indiana’s navigable waterways. Indiana’s ports contribute over $7.8 billion per year to the state economy and support nearly 60,000 jobs.
