Brooklyn Industrial Park Development History
The Brooklyn Industrial Park is located on the northeast edge of Brooklyn and is equipped with all the necessary services to begin construction of a new industry. Water, gas, sewer, electric, and telephone lines have been installed, as well as fiber optics.
Brooklyn's location was an important factor in the Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development's decision to begin an industrial park. Its location makes such a park more viable because it is only two miles north of I-80 and located midway between Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and Ottumwa.
A cooperative effort by institutions in Brooklyn enabled the park to become a reality. T.I.P. Rural Electric Cooperative purchased the 32 acres while the City of Brooklyn provided the sewer and water to the park. The city also annexed the land and made it a tax increment financing (TIF) district. This allows the city to use tax money gathered from the TIF district to pay for improvements at the site.
Brooklyn Mutual Telephone Company applied for and received a revolving fund grant, which they loaned to the city at zero interest to fund the water and sewer. This Rural Utilities Service (RUS) grant allows the money to be reinvested in other economic development projects as the money is paid back over 10 years.
Brooklyn Municipal Utilities paid for the installation of the natural gas lines, and Poweshiek County Savings Bank made a monetary donation.
Manatts Inc. along with a RISE (Revitalized Iowa's Sound Economy) grant from the Department of Transportation helped pave the street for the site. This grant paid fifty percent of the paving costs, and Manatts Inc. gave a 10 percent discount to the city. Manatts Inc. required no payment until industry was established at the site.
At present located at the industrial park are Thombert Inc., Natural Soy Products, LTD, and Poweshiek Water Associates office building.