Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds joined officials from Alliant Energy and the Ames Economic Development Commission (AEDC) to announce the Prairie View Industrial Center in Ames as the latest site to be certified through the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s (IEDA) program. Prairie View is only the second certified site among the state’s 27 total to be designated as a Super Park.
“With its central location and excellent transportation access, the Prairie View Industrial Center is an ideal setting for business growth, either through new companies coming into our state or the expansion of existing companies, such as those in the biosciences – one of the region’s core industries,” said Governor Reynolds. “This development would not be possible without the vision and leadership of Alliant Energy and the AEDC, both important partners in Iowa’s economic development efforts.”
Prairie View Industrial Center, developed by Alliant Energy and the AEDC, is an industrial site with 730 available acres located within the city limits of Ames. Access to transportation is a plus, as it is centrally located slightly east of Interstate 35 and north of four-lane U.S. Highway 30. The Union Pacific Railroad serves the property off the adjacent double track east to west on the main line.
“We see economic development as a key piece of our customer affordability strategy for the future,” said Terry Kouba, President of Alliant Energy’s Iowa energy company. “Economic development grows our communities, creates job opportunities and helps us manage costs for all customers.”
The Iowa Certified Site Program was launched by IEDA in May 2012 to address the lack of project-ready industrial sites in the state. It is an independent, third-party certification program that uses the nationally recognized site selection firm Quest Site Solutions as the certifying agent. The Iowa Certified Site Program is designed to consider a combination of national site location standards, as well as Iowa’s natural assets and the needs of the state’s targeted industry sectors.
Site certification remains one of the fastest growing trends in the site selection business, and by introducing certified sites to the market, Iowa is better able to compete for projects. In fact, Iowa has attracted more than $850 million in capital investment to-date due to the availability of these development-ready sites. Site selection is a rigorous process that ensures developers – working closely with local officials, utility partners and consultants – are better prepared to market their sites with specific site-related information and community data.
Additionally, all the site due diligence is completed, and plans are in place to address any issues, meaning sites are relatively “risk-free” and the timeline to development is reduced.
Twenty-seven sites have been certified since the program was established in 2012, and four additional sites are currently working through various phases of the program. The next round of applications will be accepted in January 2020.
For more information about the Iowa Certified Site Program, visit iowaeconomicdevelopment.com/CertifiedSites
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