ago, we started talking to a housing developer when the middle school closed down,”Wilson says.“They’re going to have 25 units in the school building. This year, they’re building one four-plex unit and one five-plex unit on the vacant lot, with room for two more fourplexes and two more five-plexes as the first units begin to fill.” The city has employed innovative financing strategies to make these developments more accessible. “For our Deer Run development, we used a TIF program to build the infrastructure,” Lawrence explains. “We built roads and all the utilities out to that area, which allowed the city to essentially pay for that and not have to raise the land prices for the homeowners. The homeowners wanting to build out there are getting a discounted price on the land.” MANUFACTURING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Sac County’s robust industrial base creates significant employment opportunities and drives economic growth. Evapco, the county’s largest employer located in Lake View, recently expanded its operations manufacturing evaporators, cooling towers, unit coolers, and condensers. “About a year ago, they did an expansion project where they were supposed to grow by 83 employees, and they ended up growing by over a hundred,” Wilson says. This growth intensified the need for workforce housing in the region. The manufacturing sector continues to diversify with several key players. “VT Industries is located right here in Sac City as a countertop manufacturer,” Wilson explains.“Almost Famous acquired what used to be Cedar Creek Popcorn in Sac City and they make gourmet popcorn. Western Iowa Energy is a biodiesel facility in Wall Lake.” The food manufacturing sector shows particular strength, with companies like Cookies Food Products in Wall Lake, producing barbecue sauces, seasonings, and specialty foods. Molly & You, featured on Good Morning America, produces beer breads, seasonings, dips, and mug cakes. Lundell Plastics out of Odebolt creates custom plastic products, including poly auger 5 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 02 SAC CITY, IA & SAC CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
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