Expansion appears to be on the horizon again for LECO Corporation in St. Joseph. Having recently completed a new $19-million applications lab and customer demonstration facility on the St. Joseph Township side of the company’s campus in the Southtown neighborhood, they’ll be back before the St. Joseph City Commission tonight seeking establishment of a new industrial development district on the St. Joseph City side of the campus along Lakeview Avenue for expansion there.
The 64,000 square foot applications lab and customer demonstration facility were completed last fall and occupied shortly thereafter, but the work isn’t done yet as the company continues to grow.
Cornerstone Alliance Business Development Manager Cathy Tilley will appear before the St. Joseph City Commission tonight with LECO’s Joel DeBruyne, in search of approval of creation of the industrial development district and then for an industrial facilities exemption certificate to allow for tax abatements on new construction they have slated for the facility at 3001 Lakeview Avenue in the city. The company is on a fast track, as they’re hopeful to have the district established by mid-April.
The specific scope and scale of the proposed LECO project has not been identified, but the district is proposed to be called the 3001 Lakeview Avenue Industrial Development District. The property is bounded by 3001 Lakeview Avenue, 3000 S. State Street, and both 500 and 512 Colonial Drive in the Southtown neighborhood.
Cathy Tilley played things close to the vest when we reached out to her this morning regarding details, but the commission is slated to take up the request at their regular commission meeting tonight, Monday, March 25, 2019. Stay tuned.
