Auto company ties progress to Obama’s speech
By Abbey Doyle The Herald Bulletin
ANDERSON, Ind. — Bright Automotive is asking that its Department of Energy loan application be swiftly processed so it can “heed President Obama’s call to create American jobs and spur the development of alternative energy technology.”
Anderson-based Bright has been waiting for word on a [...]
Construction at Flagship bodes well for future
Commuters to Indianapolis have been inconvenienced the past few weeks as crews widen the access ramp from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to southbound Interstate 69.
Being annoyed in this manner, though, is a good sign because it means growth at the Flagship Enterprise Center. Construction is under way to widen the road so trucks, mostly from Nestlé, can more easily swing onto the interstate.
The Flagship business complex is the only area of the city making a tangible recovery from the area’s automotive past. Our retail and casino areas along Scatterfield Road provide decent service industry jobs of the sort that can be found in most cities our size. We look to the Flagship, however, as a sign of diversity in our industrial sector.
This week, the Flagship announced the construction of a new light manufacturing facility that could house up to eight businesses. Funding for the $4 million project has been shored up through a $2.7 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, a loan and a $400,000 commitment from the city of Anderson.
As the city discusses budget cutbacks, there might be the temptation to question the financial commitment to the Flagship project. Dissenters, however, need to consider one factor: the new building has the potential to house between 300 and 400 workers. The site can also be sold to industry as state-of-the-art with geothermal heating and air conditioning, using passive solar panels and green construction practices.
The future seems bright on the southwestside of Anderson, and that’s not ruling out the promise of Bright Automotive’s vision for its Idea, the plug-in hybrid commercial fleet van that is being developed to go 60 miles on half a gallon of gas. The vision would be brighter if we saw a few Ideas driving the new Interstate 69 ramp followed by more semitrailers.
So even if there’s a slight delay for commuters to hop on the interstate, the slowdown will give them a chance to look westward at the Flagship. A small inconvenience is more than acceptable, as long as the route holds promise for the future.