Economic Development specialists representing Jasper County and Newton are working with several potential businesses that may want to locate in the newly formed 481 acre Jasper Rail Park. Jasper County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Jeff Davidson provided the limited information on the first potential park inhabitants during Tuesday’s County Supervisor’s meeting. 

“Right now we are courting five different prospects that we have submitted proposals for locating out there. We are actually a finalist with one. We are very excited about that. They’ve been out to the site and visited with us.”

Davidson notes the evaluation of a potential project in the industrial park isn’t one-sided. 

“It’s not just a matter of us “wooing” them. It’s a matter of us determining if this is somebody we are interested in having as part of our community and hitching our wagon to as well. That goes on simultaneously, and we gather a lot of information during that time so the development board can ultimately make the final decision on whether or not we are going to have a deal.”

Jasper County and Iowa Interstate Railroad are financing the land acquisition for the industrial park around the railroad’s Newton Railyard, just northeast of town. The Chairman of the Jasper County Board of Supervisors, Brandon Talsma, says the Rail Park’s Development Board consists of two members who represent the county, two members who vote on behalf of the railroad, and one representative for the city of Newton.