KOKOMO, Ind. — A new kind of community is coming to the City of Kokomo.
Crews highlighted and broke ground on a mixed-use development Friday afternoon. The City is working hand-in-hand with Premier Development Company on the $110 million project.
The first batch of townhomes constructed as part of the development are already occupied. But townhomes are just the start of what developers have planned for the area.
The City of Kokomo has dedicated 26 acres of land to the new development, which has been dubbed The Hub District. The development will include restaurants and shops in addition to residences.
“As we move further in, then we'll work on getting our retail space and world-class hotel and apartment building as we move further east from this point," Premier Development Company President and CEO Rocky Singh said.
The land The Hub District is going to be built on is located a few blocks away from a site that has been dedicated to a new battery plant. The City of Kokomo wants jobseekers that may come to the area to work at the battery plant to feel like their homes and workplaces are connected with the community.
Developers also expect The Hub District itself to bring new jobs to Kokomo, just like the battery plant is poised to do.
“We did a job impact study of this project," Singh said. "And it is slated to create about 990 direct and indirect jobs."
The City of Kokomo hopes The Hub District will not be the last mixed-use development project to come to the area.
“We’ll create that ripple effect that will allow other developers to say, 'Hey, it's safe to do in Kokomo,'” said Kokomo Mayor Tyler Moore.
Officials expect the second phase of development on The Hub District to be completed in April 2025.