Indiana
Indiana Economic Development Corp. dodges questions about potential $3.2B project
State officials remain secretive about a $3.2 billion manufacturing facility potentially coming to Indiana, saying only that the company behind the project is in the “advanced technology automotive components” sector and would locate its plant somewhere in north-central Indiana.
Mark Wasky, senior vice president of community affairs for the Indiana Economic Development Corp., revealed few details about the mystery deal during an appearance before the State Budget Committee on Friday.
Wasky outlined the IEDC’s plans to draw $120 million in incentive funds from a $500 million deal-closing fund already approved in the most recent state budget. The incentive commitment would be based on project performance and compliance with job-creation and wage metrics that will be included in the IEDC’s final agreements with the company, he said.
Wasky said that negotiations with the company are ongoing, with a decision on the project expected within the next 12 months. Should the company abandon the project or choose to locate in another state, the money would revert back to the deal-closing fund, Wasky said.
The company has accepted the $120 million incentive offer, he added.
The budget panel approved the agency’s request. Committee chair Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka, was absent at Friday’s meeting, which was held at Ivy Tech Community College in Madison.
When pressed by reporters for more details, Wasky said the project, which is expected to generate 1,400 high-wage jobs, would be located somewhere north of Indianapolis and would not be part of the LEAP District, a planned manufacturing and innovation district in Boone County. LEAP is an acronym for “Limitless Exploration/Advanced Pace.”
“As the automotive industry transitions, they are investing in new technologies in support of their growth plans,” Wasky said. “These investments that the state has made to attract this and other projects in the last 12 months are positioning Indiana to be a leading location for companies as they are looking to expand their portfolio of products for customers.”
Wasky would not confirm if “new technologies” referred to electric vehicles.
One project that would fit the description is Stellantis’ plans for a second U.S electric vehicle battery factory, part of a joint venture with Samsung. The companies are already partnering to build a $2.5 billion facility in Kokomo, which is also expected to employ 1,400 workers, but they haven’t announced the location of its second plant.
The Kokomo Tribune reported in July that the IEDC purchased 93 acres adjacent to the plant, and IBJ previously reported that the IEDC was buying the land “to market to suppliers and other companies within the electric vehicle battery ecosystem.”
The news comes as the IEDC ramps up its efforts to bring “future-focused” companies to Indiana.
At its June meeting, the State Budget Committee voted to approve the IEDC’s request for $122 million to acquire about 1,000 acres of land—about $120,000 an acre for mostly farmland—in Boone County for a potential $50 billion semiconductor plant investment. That land is in the southwest corner of the LEAP District, a planned 9,000-acre advanced manufacturing hub north and west of Lebanon along Interstate 65, according to state officials.
Wasky said negotiations for that project remain ongoing.
The committee in June also approved the IEDC’s request for $35 million in performance-based grants for an electric vehicle battery manufacturing operation locating in St. Joseph County; $10 million in grants to General Motors for their $632 million investments in its Fort Wayne Assembly plant; $16 million to acquire 290 acres of property in the LEAP District for a potential $3.2 billion data center; and $20.2 million to acquire 220 acres in Boone County for an INDOT interchange and upgrades to local roadway infrastructure in support of Eli Lilly’s planned expansion.
Democratic lawmakers on the committee continued to express concerns about a lack of transparency from the IEDC.
“I’m still waiting to understand what is the real return on investment that we give these companies that come here, and what do they really create here,” said Rep. Greg Porter, the ranking Democrat on the committee.
Can Fever win without Caitlin Clark?
USAT’s Meghan Hall and Sam Cardona-Norberg highlight how the Fever’s depth has shown out in the playoffs, and what it means for Indiana’s future.
Sports Seriously
Caitlin Clark may not be able to play for the Indiana Fever, but she’s clearly trying to influence her teammates with her shoe game. The All-Star guard, who is out with a right groin injury, has worn black Nike Air Force 1 sneakers for the last three games of the playoffs.
The Fever’s record in those three games: 3-0.
It started when the Fever were down 1-0 in their best-of-3 first-round series to the Atlanta Dream. She walked out on the court with the shoes, which exude toughness, and got a big reaction from teammates.
“I fear you, you mean business,” Fever All-Star center Aliyah Boston joked before Game 2. “Black Forces?! Them (refs) better watch out.”
BE LIKE CAITLIN CLARK: Buy black Air Force 1s
Ever the superstitious type, after the Fever won Game 2, Clark wore same outfit and Air Force 1s for Game 3. After the Fever upset the Dream, they celebrated the shoes on the court.
“I mean, they’re working, so,” teammate Lexie Hull said following the Game 3 win. “We told her she’s bringing them in her bag, wearing them every day.”
For Game 1 of the semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces, Clark wore black and white Nikes to the Michelob ULTRA Arena. Indiana’s Sophie Cunningham was concerned, asking about the black Air Forces. Clark said: “Don’t worry, I’ve got them.”
Clark wore all black for the game, including the Air Force 1s, and the Fever stunned the Aces to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-5 semifinals.
Here’s guessing the black AF1s will be back for Game 2, Tuesday in Las Vegas.
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Indiana made quick of Indiana State on Friday night, routing the Sycamores 73-0. One night later, roughly 200 miles north of Bloomington, Indiana, in South Bend, Notre Dame dropped another thriller. This one was a 41-40 loss to Texas A&M that dropped the Fighting Irish to 0-2.
Aside from the obvious in Texas A&M, Indiana may have just been the biggest winner in college football because of that.
Indiana Football’s Current Setting
Indiana sits at 3-0 after Friday’s drubbing of Indiana State and is now preparing for No. 9 Illinois in one of the biggest games in the history of Memorial Stadium. Both the Hoosiers and Fighting Illini have realistic College Football Playoff hopes, and Saturday’s showdown will go a long way in determining who has a step up.
A win by Indiana Saturday would put it in the driver’s seat for a College Football Playoff spot ahead of Notre Dame, even if the Irish win out and finish 10-2.
Beating No. 9 Illinois on Saturday night would mean Indiana has a top ten win to its name, something Notre Dame is almost guaranteed to not have all year, as it sits 0-2 and only has one game remaining against a team that is currently ranked (Oct. 18 vs. No. 25 USC).
Indiana’s Remaining Schedule:
Coaches hate looking ahead and understandably so. However, we’re not coaches here, and can look ahead without getting punished for it.
Of its nine remaining games, Indiana figures to be favored in seven. Only trips to Oregon and Penn State would appear to make the Hoosiers underdogs at this point.
College football rarely goes as we expect it to far out, but what happens if Indiana simply beats the teams, it should, with Saturday’s game against Illinois included in that?
Indiana would finish 10-2 and feature a top ten win. The best Notre Dame could currently do is run the table and finish 10-2, but that would almost certainly come without a win over a top 15 team, let alone a top 10 one.
College Football Playoff Outlook:
Would the College Football Playoff committee agree? It can say it doesn’t favor brands over resumes all it wants, but sometimes the evidence is too strong against that. Notre Dame losing its two games by a combined four points only would be part of its case, but should margin of defeat even matter in CFP cases?
Indiana didn’t even play Saturday night but depending how the rest of the regular season goes, it may have just been the biggest winner in all of college football Saturday night, short of Texas A&M.
The New York Knicks hope to do what the Indiana Pacers were able to accomplish this past season by winning the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Pacers stunned the Knicks in six games to advance to the NBA Finals, where they pushed the champion Oklahoma City Thunder to a Game 7 despite losing star point guard Tyrese Haliburton to a torn Achilles midway through the final matchup.
The Pacers should be different without Haliburton in the upcoming season, opening the door for the Knicks to take over as the top team in the East. Even though Haliburton won’t be on the court, the Pacers should still have a solid team.
Andrew Nembhard is expected to have significant duties as the team’s point guard while Bennedict Mathurin will likely be his partner in the backcourt.
Aaron Nesmith, who torched the Knicks throughout the entire Eastern Conference Finals, will likely be the team’s starting small forward. Pascal Siakam will be expected to lead the team in scoring from the power forward position while the team has question marks surrounding the center spot.
Myles Turner won’t be with the Pacers for the first time in a decade after he signed a contract with the division rival Milwaukee Bucks over the offseason, so the team needs to figure out what it will do to replace him.
“By far, the biggest question with the lineup is the center position. There is no guaranteed starter, although Isaiah Jackson is the favorite. Jay Huff and James Wiseman will likely back him up,” Indiana Pacers On SI contributor Ryan Stano wrote.
“There’s a chance that Indiana changes who they want to start at center at some point during the season, so that is a fluid spot. Tony Bradley will fight Wiseman for the third-string minutes.”
The Knicks should be favored over the Pacers during the season, but this is a team whose core was one win away from winning the championship just a few months ago.
Therefore, the Knicks have to take the Pacers seriously if they want to overtake them in the Eastern Conference hierarchy.
Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
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