River Ridge Secures Long-Term Water Supply and Approves Land Sale for Additional Development

River Ridge Secures Long-Term Water Supply and Approves Land Sale for Additional Development

Contract with state agency will supply up to 20 million gallons of water daily

 Jeffersonville, IN (May 18, 2021) – During its monthly meeting, the River Ridge Development Authority (RRDA) approved an agreement with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) that will ensure businesses at the River Ridge Commerce Center have a long-term supply of water. The authority approved a 50-year contract that reserves up to 20 million gallons of water per day from the Ohio River Outflow Aquifer, which is owned by the Indiana agency.

The board also approved a four-year professional services contract allowing the RRDA to continue operating the water system serving the Commerce Center for the IDNR, and approved a related, four-year contract with Louisville Water Co. to operate and maintain the water system as a subcontractor to River Ridge.

Currently, River Ridge’s water system supplies about 2 million gallons of water per day from the aquifer and is expanding distribution to allow more than 6 million gallons per day.

“We’ve enjoyed tremendous partnerships with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Louisville Water Co. to supply much-needed water to employers at the River Ridge Commerce Center,” said Jerry Acy, Executive Director of the River Ridge Development Authority. “The state recognizes that having a plentiful supply of clean water is vital to the success of our Commerce Center and our state. To help support the tens of thousands of jobs we are trying to attract, we must continue to invest in our resources and infrastructure and provide a reliable source of water for companies locating here.”

The River Ridge Commerce Center has become a source of major economic development for the Louisville-Southern Indiana region. Serving as home to more than 60 companies with over 10,500 on-site workers, the Commerce Center produced a total of $2.5 billion in economic output in 2020 and supported more than 17,500 regional jobs, according to an annual economic impact analysis.

Over the last year, the RRDA has invested millions of dollars in improving its water services and ensuring a consistent supply of water. Last year, the authority approved a $7,258,000 contract with Caldwell Tanks Inc. to construct two elevated, two million-gallon water storage tanks at the RRCC. These tanks will provide current and future customers with a reliable water source throughout the development.

More growth expected at River Ridge

The River Ridge Development Authority also approved a resolution to allow Executive Director Jerry Acy to negotiate the sale of 30 acres within the River Ridge Commerce Center to an industrial or commercial prospect.

With a sale price of $100,000 per acre, the land deal would generate $3 million in funding for RRDA. The funding would be used for operations and further development to attract companies and jobs to Southern Indiana.

“This has been a great year for growth at River Ridge,” Acy said. “We continue to see demand from both private developers and individual employers that want to locate in Southern Indiana.”

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About the River Ridge Development Authority

The River Ridge Development Authority manages the River Ridge Commerce Center, a 6,000-acre business and office park established in 1998 to replace lost economic activity from the closure of the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant. The Authority has invested more than $130 million to redevelop about 35 percent of the Center. River Ridge is home to more than 60 companies, such as Amazon, Bose, Collins Aerospace, Enjoy Life Foods, Medline, Optum and Autoneum. Onsite employment totaled more than 10,500 in 2020, and the Center produced a total of $2.5 billion in economic output and supported more than 16,900 regional jobs. The investments and growth at River Ridge recently earned the RRDA the International Economic Development Council’s Gold Award for Real Estate Redevelopment and Reuse.