Portage City Council approves tax abatements for grain elevator restart
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
A grain elevator at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor could soon be back in use, with some help from the city of Portage.
The city council this week approved real and personal property tax abatements for the Louis Dreyfus Co. The company says it plans to invest $18 million to restart and improve the facility.
Mayor Austin Bonta said the city’s success is closely linked to the port’s.
“Operations in the port are extremely important for us as a port city, and I would just say that, ultimately, a successful port is a successful Portage,” Bonta told council members.
The Louis Dreyfus Co. is based in Europe but has a large presence in the United States, including in the Kosciusko County town of Claypool.
The company says it only plans to create about 13 new jobs, but it needs the incentive, due to the considerable risk in restarting an elevator that’s been idle for two years. Once it’s up and running, it hopes to purchase upwards of $70 million a year in crops from area farmers.
The company hopes to move forward with a lease next week.
This article first appeared on Lakeshore Public Media.