JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — Jeffersonville leaders signed an agreement for the future of Jeffboat property on Tuesday.
Leaders and the American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) plans to invest up to $200,000 into a group of associates to create a master plan for the site.
"To help tie in our goals with the city's goals, to truly meet the needs of not only the partners up here, but also our community," ACBL CEO Mike Ellis said at Tuesday's press conference.
Ellis said the planning process will take up to 10 months.
Jeffboat is nearly 80 acres of land along the Ohio River. It was one of the largest shipbuilders in the community until it closed in 2018. Once the master plan is complete, Mayor Mike Moore said they will know how to utilize the area.
"We have the opportunity to do something that no one else is going to do. You can't find 80 acres on the, on the Ohio River in a metropolitan city. This is the biggest project in the United States," he said.
Moore added that the project will take time and careful planning. And when asked what he would like to see on the property, Moore said exactly what the community wants.
"If you ever sat down and wanted to dream about what you could do, or what you wanted to do, this is the perfect opportunity to do it," he said.
Leaders said they will hold three public input meetings for the master plan. The first meeting is scheduled for January 2023.
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