Industrial park paving project begins

One lane is completed and contractors can be seen in the distance working on the other as part of a paving project on Industrial Park Road in McCook Tuesday afternoon. (Bruce Baker/McCook Gazette)

McCOOK, Neb. -- Paving of the main access road for an industrial park behind Valmont is underway and economic development officials hope the project makes business recruitment easier.

McCook Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Rex Nelson indicated Tuesday he was excited to see the paving project underway and hoped it stimulated activity at the McCook Industrial Park.

MEDC invested more than $180,000 in the original 20 acre development but had little success attracting businesses to join anchor tenant Silverstone. Silverstone mounts tires for Valmont and uses its own access road, according to Nelson.

More than a decade after the industrial park opened MEDC officials welcomed a second tenant in 2014, Booe Machinery and Salvage of North Platte. The Booe investment helped MEDC acquire a $108,000 Community Development Block Grant to offset the expense of the paving project and MEDC funds were used to cover the remainder.

BSB Construction of Curtis was awarded the paving project in September with a bid of $203,727.

Nelson said he was hopeful the road improvements would increase demand for space at the industrial park and indicated close to 15 acres is available for sale.

The industrial park is located just off U.S. Highway 83 and in close proximity to U.S. Highway 34, with rail served sites available.

Upon completion the street will be 30 foot wide and paved with eight inch thick concrete, according to bid specs. It will utilize surface drainage to existing retention ponds and is designed to allow for curb and gutter, and storm sewers, to be added at a later date.