Lippert Components has canceled plans to build a $20 million facility on newly annexed land southeast of the city, Goshen City Council heard Tuesday.
This story by Jordan Fouts originally appeared in The Elkhart Truth.
Councilman Adam Scharf said he was surprised when he noticed the land was for sale at 16629 C.R. 36, which the city had annexed last year after hearing about Lippert’s plan for the property. The company intended to build a plant worth at least $20 million where 550 employees would be moved from other locations.
It would house new equipment including fully automated laser cutters, automated packagers and semi-automatic welders, which would run as much as 24 hours a day. Company representatives had said there’s no extra space at their older facilities and other potential locations wouldn’t be practical.
The 154-acre property is just east of the railroad tracks, on the north side of the road. The city rezoned the land from agricultural to industrial and annexed it in March 2018, despite opposition from nearby residents over further buildup and extra traffic.
The city also established a tax increment finance district on the property in order to reimburse the company for new infrastructure it would fund, like water and sewer lines and a sidewalk. With Lippert’s plans now canceled, Scharf noted there are financial implications involving the TIF and other smaller developments planned for the area.
Mayor Jeremy Stutsman said the conditions will stay with the property itself and apply to whoever might buy it. Stutsman said Lippert had contacted him and Community Development Director Mark Brinson last month to let the city know that they weren’t going to do the project anymore and would sell the property. He said the company hasn’t made a statement about the reasons for the change but noted that different people are now involved in the process.
