Calhoun County Business Park Groundbreaking

(L-R): Rand Fisher, President, Iowa Area Development Group; Brittany Dickey, Development Finance Director, Corn Belt Power Cooperative; Jim Vermeer, Vice President of Business Development, Corn Belt Power Cooperative; Brooke Sievers, Civil Engineer, ISG; Scott Jacobs, Calhoun County Board of Supervisors; Keaton Hildreth, CEO, Calhoun County Electric Cooperative Association; Jill Heisterkamp, Executive Director, Calhoun County Economic Development Corp.; Debi Durham, Executive Director, Iowa Economic Development Authority; and Nick Buse, Calhoun County Engineer.

Calhoun County’s first business park begins construction near four-lane U.S. Highway 20

ROCKWELL CITY, IA (June 4, 2021) – A groundbreaking ceremony took place on Thursday, June 3, 2021, to commemorate the beginning of construction on a new 115-acre business park being developed at the intersection of four-lane U.S. Highway 20 and Highway 4, just north of Rockwell City. This is the first business park to be located in Calhoun County, and it is one of the first to be built along rural Highway 20 since the four-lane highway expansion project was completed in 2018.

The Calhoun County Business Park project is spearheaded by a development team including the Calhoun County Board of Supervisors, Calhoun County Economic Development Corp. (CCEDC), Calhoun County Electric Cooperative Association (CCECA), and Corn Belt Power. The engineering firm ISG, City of Rockwell City, and Twin Lakes Utilities were also involved in the project.

“The Calhoun County Business Park project was only made possible through the diligent efforts of numerous organizations working together toward a common goal,” said Jill Heisterkamp, Executive Director at CCEDC. “We are excited to see opportunities develop at the site and for this project’s success to influence future development throughout Calhoun County.”

The groundbreaking marks the beginning of Phase 1 of the Business Park’s planned four-phase development. Phase 1 offers 16.49 developable acres and includes construction of a new dedicated road entrance to the Business Park, drainage and stormwater detention, and water and sewer infrastructure access for three buildable lots.

Since the completion of the four-lane U.S. Hwy 20 project in late 2018, traffic counts have increased significantly, with the first quarter of 2021 showing an average daily traffic count of 5,820 vehicles traveling through the Highway 20 and 4 intersection.

“With its location at an interchange for new four-lane Highway 20 and its proximity to Interstates 35 and 29, the Calhoun County Business Park is a great location for warehousing, distribution, cold storage, and other logistic service providers,” said Heisterkamp. “A Sparky’s One Stop truck stop and convenience store already exists at the site, located on the southeast side of the property, which further supports businesses in these industries locating here.”

Calhoun County Business Park is located in a Federally-designated Opportunity Zone and will be locally designated as an urban renewal area, offering potential financial incentives for development. More information about the Business Park can be found at www.ccedciowa.com/businesspark, or by contacting CCEDC at 712-297-5601 or ccedc@calhouncountyiowa.com.