Industrial park pipes nearing finish line

Eighth Avenue West in Hartley was abuzz with activity this week, but it wasn't because of an influx of traffic.

The road was closed at the Highway 18 intersection so crews could connect water lines from the city's new industrial park to the main. The job marked the last large piece of water line construction, according to Superintendent of Public Works Jaron Benz.

"It is my hope that the main contract work is done by the end of the month with only electric and gas utilities to be finished in the spring," he said.

In addition to the tie-in, Benz said crews installed electric and communications conduits alongside the water main. Additionally, the city is planning to get some more of the electrical infrastructure installed this fall.

"There is also a little paving left to do at the entrance to the industrial park and some work to get the sanitary sewer lift station operational," said Benz.

Roads in the new industrial park were poured in September. The paving project was a big checkmark off the list, as construction buzzed along mostly undeterred this spring and summer.

The new industrial park is located directly west of Grace Fellowship on Highway 18. Its construction was prompted by a lack of space in Hartley, as the current industrial park located on the southeast side of town is near capacity.

The project's price tag is estimated at $1.1-$1.3 million. The area has been divided into nine lots – the largest encompasses 3.56 acres and the smallest occupies 0.83 acres. The city is using tax increment financing (TIF) funds to pay for some of the development expenses.

The land for the new industrial park was purchased from Brent and Kimberly Rieck and Jason Krosch in December 2018 for $22,000 per acre, or $440,000 in total. An additional parcel of land totaling approximately 1 acre was purchased this year at a similar price to accommodate the outlet waterway.