Hearing on industrial park expansion is Tuesday night

Hutchinson leaders want to attract jobs to get those 950 people laid off by Hutchinson Technology Inc. in January back to work.

One way to do that is to attract new businesses to the city’s industrial park. Expanding the park is a City Council priority. Thus, the city purchased 68 acres east of the existing park in December.

The industrial park returns again to the council’s agenda tonight. A public hearing is scheduled on the almost $1.9 million in street and utilities improvements needed to make the new area, now known as Energy Park, ready for businesses. The council could authorize seeking bids on the work.

The city is seeking state and federal grants totaling more than $1.2 million to help pay for the project. That effort will be discussed at a workshop prior to tonight’s meeting at 4 p.m.

The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. in council chamber of City Center, 111 Hassan St. S.E.

(Terry Davis is a Hutchinson Leader staff writer. E-mail him at davis@hutchinsonleader.com.)