|
Lincoln possibly top choice
for ethanol plant now
Send a link to a friend
[JULY 14, 2004]
A representative of the
steering committee for a bio-energy plant dropped in at the Tuesday
night city council work session. Brian Wrage said that he was just
giving the city a heads-up, but he also asked if they would be
willing to offer anything that might sway the company to locate in
an area adjacent to city limits. He asked if they might be able to
help sway approval for admittance to the enterprise zone or into a
TIFF district.
|
|
Illini Bio-Energy has been looking at
sites to build a coal-fired plant that will produce ethanol from
corn. The site must meet three criteria:
- Abundant water supply available
- Railroad access
-
Roads
that will endure 80,000-pound trucks
The company has been looking at Elkhart
and Taylorville. Both these cities meet all the criteria. At Elkhart
the company would have to buy up additional land between the
potential site and the railroad and then lay 3½ miles of their own
track. In addition, the road between Mount Pulaski and Elkhart needs
to be upgraded for weighty trucks.
However, the company has identified
another site that Wrage says is better, in his opinion. They are
looking at properties in the triangle between Eaton, I-55 and Kruger
elevator. That site is nearer to two railroad lines and is said to
have plenty of water. Preliminary inquiries to property owners
indicate that they would be willing to sell.
[to top of second column in
this article]
 |
If the ground isn’t too expensive and
they can rely on the city to help them gain tax help, such as
acceptance into the enterprise zone, it would be the preferred site,
Wrage said.
Wrage said he thinks they would
probably petition to be annexed into the city. City attorney Bill
Bates informed Wrage that that would be a lengthy process that will
probably take three to four months due to public hearings and
rezoning vote, then public hearings and annexation vote.
Site selection was intended to be
announced before now. The new target date to announce by is late
August or September.
Wrage
invited those present to tour a new plant of the same design in
Burlington, Iowa, on either Friday or next Tuesday.
[Jan
Youngquist]
Related articles
Group proposing ethanol plant -- correction
 |
