Together, BE NKY Growth Partnership (BE NKY), the economic development organization serving Boone, Campbell, and Kenton counties, and Duke Energy are sparking economic growth by taking steps to make industrial land more competitive.
BE NKY has participated in the Duke Energy Site Readiness program to prepare and improve properties for potential large industrial development and/or redevelopment since 2010.
This collaboration between Duke Energy and BE NKY has led to the evaluation of 18 properties in Northern Kentucky. The most recent property – the Tackett Site – was selected for the program for a second time in 2023, after being in the Duke Site Readiness Program in 2012.
The Tackett Site, located at 13360 Dixie Highway in Boone and Kenton counties, spans 239 acres, with 190 acres deemed developable. The site, which has access to two Class I railroads, is ideal for small-to-midsize projects in sectors such as transportation equipment, metals, plastics, materials, and distribution and logistics. The site can accommodate up to two million square feet of buildings, with a recommendation for various building sizes to attract a diverse range of companies.
Through the program, Duke Energy partners with local engineering firm Bayer Becker and Dallas-based national site selection company Site Selection Group. The partnership also provides a $10,000 grant to further enhance the site’s readiness. Bayer Becker conducts an engineering evaluation of sites and prepares conceptual drawings for potential future development. Site Selection Group performs in-depth analyses of the utility capacities, available workforce, and likely end-user industries. The program results in a comprehensive report that highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the selected sites, recommends improvements, and identifies target industries to attract.
After both companies’ analyses of the Tackett Site, strategic recommendations include improving water capacity, extending wastewater, and installing and improving road access. The grant is being used to study the current road access options into the site.
Launched to help communities proactively assess and prepare properties for development, the Duke Site Readiness Program provides communities with an opportunity to practice and receive feedback on their business attraction presentation and site visit planning and execution.
Since 2010, the Site Readiness Program has evaluated 37 sites and buildings in Ohio and Northern Kentucky. Marketing these sites to bring new capital investment and good jobs to the region is a priority for BE NKY. More than one-third have been developed, resulting in 16 wins and 5,035 new jobs. Some of the Northern Kentucky-developed sites are now home to major companies such as Amazon, Coca-Cola, DAV (Disabled American Veterans) headquarters, and Perfetti Van Melle.
“Duke Energy is proud to partner with BE NKY to support economic development efforts in our region by working to prepare shovel-ready sites, simplifying information that helps companies looking to locate or expand in Northern Kentucky,” said Amy Spiller, Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky State President. “Since 2010, the Duke Energy Site Readiness Program has contributed over $2 billion in capital investment to the Greater Cincinnati region, and we look forward to continuing to make it easy for companies to choose Northern Kentucky.”
Several previous Northern Kentucky sites included in the program are detailed below:
- In 2022, the program evaluated the Southern Campbell County Industrial Park, consisting of 40 acres located in Claryville. This site boasts many positive attributes, including highway access, Tyson Foods as a corporate neighbor, and close proximity to Northern Kentucky University. It also received $2 Million in Kentucky Product Development Initiative funds for site development earlier this year, in part from going through this program.
- In 2020, two sites in Walton were chosen. Walton Industrial Park – North is a 22-acre site in Boone County. Bayer Becker concluded the site could accommodate three buildings ranging from 20,000-30,000 square feet. Walton Industrial Park – South is a 48-acre site in Kenton County. It has been developed with a 575,000-square-foot building that has been sold by the developer. Both sites are located close to I-75 and I-71 and ideal for advanced manufacturing operations.
- Twenty-eight acres in Wilder owned by Rumpke was included in the program in 2015. This site, now owned by Neyer Properties, is available for industrial, manufacturing, or distribution use. It is located 15 minutes from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and features a potential barge loading/unloading area along the Licking River. Economic incentives are available from the City of Wilder and State of Kentucky.
About BE NKY Growth Partnership
BE NKY Growth Partnership, the economic development company for Northern Kentucky, provides businesses with the expertise they need to build opportunity in Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties. We attract new business and elevate what’s already here to create innovative, forward-thinking, and attractive environments for companies and community success. We serve Northern Kentucky so that our community thrives through the creation of good jobs and a growing and diverse economy. We believe in Opportunity and Prosperity for All Northern Kentuckians. Visit www.BE-NKY.com for more information.
About Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky
Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides electric service to 910,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 3,000-square-mile service area, and natural gas service to 560,000 customers in a 2,650-square-mile service area, in Ohio and Kentucky.
Mark Grauwelman is Real Estate and Project Manager for BE NKY Growth Partnership.
