ODON — Daviess County leaders have signed a real estate agreement with the Uplands Science and Technology Foundation (USTF) to streamline real estate development and negotiations on county-owned land near the WestGate Technology Park, according to the Southern Indiana Business Report.
The agreement, signed by the Daviess County Commissioners and approved by the Daviess County Redevelopment Commission on August 26, also includes the Daviess County Economic Development Foundation.
According to Bryant Niehoff, CEO of USTF, the agreement is designed to simplify the development process for both private sector partners and the county. He noted that dealing with property owned by public entities can involve multiple steps and jurisdictions, and this new arrangement will help simplify that process.
Daviess County is one of three counties that own land in the WestGate@Crane area. Niehoff stated that the real estate agreement was part of the WestGate@Crane Master Plan Development, which was created to establish a roadmap for the park’s governance and growth. Since USTF was formed four years ago to lead the park’s long-term strategy, development at WestGate has accelerated.
Recent projects include Amentum’s groundbreaking work on a new Radiation Combined Environment Test Facility, a partnership with Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane to advance microelectronics for the U.S. Department of Defense. Additionally, Kratos Defense & Security Systems is constructing a $50 million facility for hypersonic launch programs, which is expected to be operational by the end of 2026, creating over 100 jobs with an average annual wage exceeding $80,000.
Niehoff stated that the new agreement will be beneficial for the county and potential developers.
