Tenant found for spec building (11/29/05)

DUNKIRK — A new industry is being welcomed to town.

A three-year lease agreement has been signed for the rental of Dunkirk’s new 20,000-square foot, one-story spec building, located along Jay County Road 400 South at Industrial Park Drive, east of the city park, Mayor Sam Hubbard said at Monday night’s city council meeting.

Clearwater Manufacturing, Ltd., is currently in the process of moving into the structure. The firm will employ about 10 people initially, making decorative wood products for plaques, Hubbard said. It’s associated with the Dacra Corporation of Hartford City which puts decorative glassware on the plaques.

Including parking lot and roadway and other site improvements, the total construction cost for the new building is about $600,000, Hubbard said.

The structure was financed with Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) funds, Dunkirk Industrial Development Committee president Dan Watson said. The three-year lease with an option to purchase was signed earlier this month, Watson added.

Due to the “Feel the Warmth of Christmas” activities in the downtown area Monday night, the council session was relatively brief. In other business at the meeting council members:

•Unanimously approved a request from Jeff Shonkweiler, tax director for Saint-Gobain Containers, to amend the city’s 10-year tax abatement ordinance with the glass bottle manufacturer to meet new state guidelines which will be beneficial to the company. Shonkweiler said that Saint-Gobain actually spent about $10 million more at the plant than originally requested in November 2002, and consequently the Indiana Department of Local Government and Finance has authorized the filing of a revised form.

•Approved a low interest loan from the city’s revolving loan community improvement fund to cover the cost of roof repairs at the Dunkirk American Legion Post on West Commerce Street. The loan is not to exceed $20,000 with an interest rate of four percent over a five-year period.

•Agreed to make the city’s annual donation of $100 for the holiday party for the Head Start preschool program in Dunkirk.

•Changed the date of the council’s regularly scheduled second meeting in December from Monday, Dec. 26, to Thursday, Dec. 29, at 6 p.m. in city hall.

•Set a public hearing for 7 p.m. on Dec. 12 to consider additional appropriations in the 2005 city budget to cover additional expenses in the trash collection fund. These additional appropriations will total $24,500, clerk-treasurer Jane Kesler said.[[In-content Ad]]