A recent joint meeting of the Perry City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission has sparked a great deal of discussion throughout the City regarding the proposed expansion of the Progressive Foundry plant.
Under the initial proposal, the Foundry would purchase the block immediately to the east of their current facilities, which is owned by Wiese Industries. As part of that shift, the block of 2nd Street between Bateman and Rawson streets would be closed to make way for a new building. City Administrator Sven Peterson says there’s been some pushback from the community so far on the project, including a concerned resident who voiced her objections at a recent Council meeting. Peterson emphasizes that the proposal is by no means a done deal, though he does believe it carries benefits to the City. “We still have quite a road ahead of us as far as public hearings, open forums, things like that. So definitely plenty of time to provide input if you have feelings strongly one way or another. I know the Foundry is looking to add about 10-15 jobs with this expansion, and it’s one of those deals where it’s just a great opportunity for us to support a local business — (a) homegrown business with people that live here, that own the business — and help them expand within the community.”
For his part, Progressive Foundry Owner Kirk VanKirk says he’d like to keep the business where it is and that he doesn’t need any tax breaks or incentives to do so. However, he says they’ve outgrown the space and their options are either to expand or move. When asked if he would consider relocating to the Perry Industrial Park, VanKirk said plainly that any move away from their current facilities would carry the risk of a relocation out of the City if another community made a better offer. Anyone with questions, comments, or concerns about the project is encouraged to contact a Council member or reach out to Perry City Hall at 515-465-2481. To learn more, click the link below to listen to the most recent Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program with Peterson.
https://www.raccoonvalleyradio.com/2019/07/16/lets-talk-dallas-county-7-16-2019-sven-peterson/