BY JOHN REED LEADER EDITOR
HAMLET - Work on sewer and water lines, and more, for the new SYSCO plant could begin in two or three weeks.
Starke County Commissioners on March 12 awarded bids for sewer and water lines, a water tower and access roads. The 300-acre SYSCO site is on the northeast corner of U.S. 30 and 500 North, just south of U.S. 30. Sewer and water lines will run east parallel to 500 North to the treatment plants in Hamlet.
Bids were received by commissioners in January. Charlie Weaver told commissioners that the next step is for contractors to post their proof of insurance and performance bonds with the county. Then, formal “notice to proceed” will be issued and construction can begin. 

Weaver said that notice to proceed could be issued within a week.
Weaver is executive director of the Starke County Development Foundation and instrumental in enticing SYSCO to Starke County. The foundation aided in obtaining the $2.7 million of funding for the project. Except for $780,000 in local EDIT funds, the financing comes from state and federal grants.
Earlier last week, Weaver told commissioners they needed to award the bids so that there is no problem meeting a 2010 deadline for funding.
The project is estimated to take a year to complete and Weaver explained one of the reasons is the water tower. The tower takes from eight to 10 months to complete, depending on the temperature. Another reason depends on when the materials are delivered. He said this isn’t a huge project to complete and the majority of it would be done by the the middle of summer.
Commissioner Kathy Norem said she expected groundbreaking to occur very soon.
“In order for us to meet the terms of our grant, we must get started on our portion now as the construction must be completed by June 30, 2010 and all reports have to be submitted by that time.  Most all of the work should be completed by fall, but the water tower can only be coated with a minimum temp of 50 degrees and rising. Depending on the weather, it could be April or May next year before that can be done,” Norem said.
Weaver said this construction phase is “not necessarily for SYSCO but also for other future industry. This area is a prime location for industrial development because of the intersection” with U.S. 35 and 30.
Weaver also told Commissioners at the last commissioner meeting that if SYSCO pulled out, the county could be faced with repayment of grant dollars.
“While there is nothing to indicate Sysco would decide not to follow through with this project, if that were to occur the county could be faced with having to pay back up to  $725,000 of grant money (18 percent of the project costs,) Norem said.
SYSCO expects to provide 750 jobs when it builds its warehouse.  
SYSCO, at its November Board of Directors meeting, authorized construction of the Baugh North Central Cooperative Redistribution Center.
The public infrastructure consists of a new 200,000 gallon water  tower, new well field, water treatment facility and water mains connecting the Sysco site to the town of Hamlet’s water system; extension of a sewer main to Hamlet’s waste water treatment facility; and construction of a roadway entrance onto the Sysco site from U.S. 35.
Grants are from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s Industrial Development Grant Fund, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration Grant Fund, the Starke County Economic Development Fund, along with the issuance of Tax Incremental  Financing Bonds. Following construction, the water and sewer  improvements will be transferred to, and operated by the town of Hamlet.
The Hamlet facility is expected to initially service broadline  distribution companies in the states of North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.  
More simply put, the facility is a warehouse serving other warehouses.
The approximately 700,000 square foot operation will include freezer, refrigeration, and dry storage, office space, and a truck maintenance facility. Rail spurs will extend into the building.
Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. For more information about Sysco, visit www.Sysco.com.