Infrastructure

Infrastructure is a key component of economic development. When companies deliberate about where to locate or expand operations, access to solid transportation networks, competitive utility rates and shovel-ready sites are critical factors in the decision-making process.

Ottumwa, Iowa has some key infrastructural advantages that make it an attractive location for commerce, including a recently certified site that will streamline the development process.

Shovel-Ready, Certified Site

The Helgerson Flats Industrial Center in Ottumwa was certified by the Iowa Economic Development Authority in March 2019. The site includes more than 80 acres of land competitively priced at $12,700 per acre.

The site is zoned limited industrial. Lots are flat, with only a 30 foot elevation difference from the lowest to highest point of the whole acreage.

The Helgerson Flats Industrial Center is conveniently contiguous to Ottumwa’s existing industrial park. Its site certification process included a target industry study, which identified several sectors that would be ideal tenants for the property, including:

• Machinery Manufacturing
• Warehousing and Distribution
• Automotive Supply Chain
• Food & Beverage Processing

Iowa's electric and gas rates are lower than its neighboring states, making it a competitive choice for business. Helgerson Flats offers the following utility capacity:

Transportation Assets

Ottumwa has transportation advantages, including connectivity to highways and interstates as well as airports and rail.

Helgerson Flats’ proximity to roadways is one of its primary assets. A four-lane highway, US 149, is less than 1 mile away. The site has convenient access to US Hwy 63, a north/south artery through the Midwest and US Hwy 34, which runs east to west from Central Colorado to Chicago.

Two major interstates are located within an easy drive of the Helgerson Flats. I-80, the nearest east/west Interstate, is 45 miles from the site, while the north/south running I-35 is 77 miles away.

Ottumwa has a regional public airport, owned by the city and operated by Archangel Services that provides essential aviation services to the area. It has recently extended one of its two runways to just over 6,000 feet.

The Ottumwa Regional Airport is a 1440-acre complex located on Highway 63 — just five miles from Helgerson Flats. The general aviation airport hosts a fixed base operator that offers plane rentals, charter service, flying lessons, hangar rental, and mechanical repairs.

Ottumwa is only 1.5 hours from the Des Moines International Airport, which offers commercial, non-stop flights to 20 destinations across the country.

Two class I rail providers, BNSF and Canadian Pacific Railway, serve the Ottumwa area. And the Port of Burlington on the Mississippi River is within a 1.5 hour drive.