Things shaping up at WestGate Tech Park

CRANE -- With an eye fixed on the future and a belief that if it's built they will come, WestGate Technology Park co-developer and architect Dale Ankrom looks out over the 300-plus acres that lies in three adjoining counties.

A vision for excellence is foremost on his mind.

Ankrom, the principal in D.E.A. Inc. Architecture, of Indianapolis, noted Tuesday afternoon, "To see something from nothing is exciting.

By Nick Schneider Dale Ankrom, at left, one of the partners in the WestGate Development Corporation LLC, talks with Joan Bethell who serves as the executive director of the Greene County Economic Development Corporation at Crane Village.

"Things are happening here. By early fall this will all take on a new look."

Pointing to the EG & G building and the SIAC buildings, Ankrom proudly added, "These are our babies."

The planning and behind-the-scenes work for the design of the technology park is tedious and doesn't move very fast, Ankrom admits.

Ankrom and his two other partners in the economic development venture -- Steve Henke and Gerald Throgmartin -- remain optimistic that the tech park will soon bring more jobs and new opportunities to residents of Greene, Daviess and Martin counties.

The trio possess years of development experience.

Throgmartin, a major developer and retired co-founder of H.H. Gregg, and Henke, a prominent Indianapolis area developer and attorney, have designed and developed major commercial facilities and custom home residential communities in several states -- including the Bridgewater Club in Hamilton County and The Stonebridge Club, a new 1,300 acre resort, golf, and equestrian community located south in Morgan County.

Ankrom has built or designed numerous major commercial, office and hotel facilities throughout the Midwest and Florida.

The developers are working closely with the WestGate Authority -- the governmental body overseeing the tech park development. Greene County has three members serving on that board -- Ron Toon of rural Bloomfield, John Mensch of Bloomfield and Brian Sparks of Linton.

WestGate at Crane Development Company, LLC contracted with the WestGate Authority in 2007 to take the lead role in the park's design, development and marketing.

Rutherford Construction Company is heading up the general construction team.

The developers have agreed to make a multi-million dollar investment in the project they believe will be a state, national and international showcase on the doorsteps to one of the state's most significant economic development resources -- Naval Support Activity (NSA) Crane, a $4 billion dollar a year military operation.

Henke says a "village" campus concept has been designed that will feature retail, commercial, industrial as well as residential development. It will be surrounded by a picturesque southern Indiana landscape that will retain the existing wooded areas.

Nature walking paths and trails, parks, retail shops, a hotel-conference center, a business center, an array of offices, classrooms, manufacturing and warehousing space will be available.

The draft plan features construction of an impressive circular roundabout entrance way using State Road 558 off of U.S. 231 as a gateway to a campus park setting.

The group also plans to build a large scale recreational park.

WestGate now has two buildings up and running -- Crane Federal Credit Union and EG & G Technical Services -- both located in the Daviess County sector.

Construction on a third building -- a 17,300 square feet tech center for Crane Technology, Inc. (CTI) -- is about ready to get under way.

Ankrom expects that facility to be up and running in the next 12 months.

CTI's goal is to provide access to state-of-the-art techniques and processes, test, evaluation, and prototype development facilities, as well as scientists, engineers, and technicians.

To the east, SAIC's new building and incubator center in the Martin County sector of the tech park is taking form and will be open later this year.

To the north, a sewer line extension has recently been completed to the Greene County sector and active talks are ongoing with several potential tenants wanting to locate in that area of the new tech park, according to Ankrom.

He said some access roads need to be built to prepare the Greene County sector for marketing, but he believes actual construction work will get under way some time early next year.

There is also some other site preparation work in the sector that needs to be done before Ankrom can tell a client to come and start building.

"We are trying to get what will be the best fit," Ankrom stressed.

He confirmed there is some real interest in the Greene County site by more than one tenant.

Details of who those firms are remains an unknown for now because the developers want to protect the confidential integrity of the talks and not prematurely release any details of the negotiations.

"We are close," Ankrom said. "It (talks) is going well."

Ankrom also suggested that the developers would be willing to construct a "spec-type" warehousing office building in the Greene County sector sometime in 2009.

"This is not all WestGate. There will be other pieces to the puzzle," Ankrom said in pointing to the commercial business opportunities that the construction of Interstate 69 -- which is about half mile from the tech park, will present.

Ankrom said he really appreciates the cooperation shown to the developers by the stakeholders in all three counties collaborating in the state's first certified tri-county technology park.

"Everybody makes you feel so welcome here," the architect noted with a smile.