City Council Approves Steps for Expanding Industry

The Oelwein City Council has approved moving ahead with several resolutions, making the way for a new battery plant, providing about 350 new jobs to Northeast Iowa.

At last night's (Monday) regular meeting, the Oelwein City Council approved a "RISE" funding agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation, for the 14th Street SE exterior project. The project involves the construction of a new plant for East Penn Manufacturing, which makes automotive batteries.

The Council passed an order for Fox Engineering, concerning the Industrial Park RISE improvements, in the amount of $298,500.

The Council then approved Fox Engineering to do utility improvements at the Industrial Park, at a cost of $19,400.

Oelwein officials also authorized the advance of $75,000 in earnest money for the purchase of real estate at the site for East Penn.

And the Oelwein City Council approved an interfund loan, between the city, and the Oelwein Chamber and Area Development, to purchase property for East Penn.

East Penn, which already has a distribution center in Oelwein employing 83 workers, is looking to expand it's base of operations in the Oelwein Industrial Park, and hire another 350 employees.

Construction on the 219,000 square foot building, will start next spring, and is scheduled to be finished in the summer of 2018.