Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore highlighted the city’s continued growth in his eleventh State of the City address on Wednesday.
Redevelopment – both of the city’s vacant property and former industrial sites — was a focal point.
“People are finding what they’re looking for in Jeff,” Moore said. “And it’s not just new homeowners. Businesses also see the opportunities here and they’re staking claim. Even as the pandemic lingered and supply chain issues hampered industries across the board, both large and small businesses made investments in Jeff during 2021.”
The mayor said Jeffersonville had a 15% increase in new single-family home permits last year, and the city issued nearly 80 certificates for new businesses.
Moore said he hopes to continue quality of life improvements moving forward, especially as the city redevelops the former Jeffboat property.
“We’re not that same small river city trying to find its way,” he said. “Instead, we’re a city where people want to live, work and raise a family.”
To prepare for more development, Moore said city government needs to enhance the city’s infrastructure. Some of those efforts have already wrapped up, including the Heavy Haul Road near the Clark County Airport. Other road projects, including those on Utica-Sellersburg Road and Charlestown Pike, are also making progress.
Moore said the city’s ongoing downtown sewer project, called Jeff Digs, is scheduled to wrap up in October. He also highlighted the upcoming expansion to the city’s North Wastewater Treatment Plant, which will increase sewer capacity at River Ridge Commerce Center.
“Expansion of the plant is needed if Jeffersonville is going to serve the development that is knocking on the door at the bustling commerce center,” Moore said. “We’re on the verge of signing off on a $40 million expansion to the plant without raising sewer rates.”
Moore said the city will also explore ways to fund a new fire station at River Ridge.
John Boyle is a corps member with Report For America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. John's coverage of Southern Indiana is funded, in part, by the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County, Community Foundation of Southern Indiana and Samtec, Inc.