Jasper taking steps to create Shovel Ready site

Jasper — The City of Jasper will begin the application process to designate an area of the city as a state Shovel Ready site.

The Jasper Board of Public Works and Safety gave Chad Hurm the go-ahead on completing the application for the certification of an area on the south side of Jasper. The area consists of several undeveloped properties. They are bordered by 12th Avenue and Division Road on the north and south respectively, and the Jasper Sports Complex and Highway 231 on the west and east.

If approved the city will join a database of 76 Shovel Ready sites available in the state. These sites receive a special designation that they are ready for economic development. The designation is completed by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA).

According to the state, base level certification defines a property with a clear title, establishes a price, demonstrates executive level local government support, defines utility capacity, and provides documentation such as Phase I environmental assessment, topographical, property layout, and plat maps. 

With all of the pre-assessments and planning completed, interested businesses can literally start moving dirt immediately after approval from the city.