Indiana Tool & Manufacturing Co. (Indiana Tool) has announced plans for a new innovation district north of Plymouth, with a proposed annexation that could increase the city’s land area by approximately 20%.
In an October 9 press release, the company announced the formation of the Indiana Innovation Center, an initiative intended to connect Plymouth and Marshall County with the University of Notre Dame, Colfax Corner, regional manufacturers, entrepreneurs and emerging technology companies.
During the October 20 Plymouth Redevelopment Commission meeting, Plymouth City Attorney Jeff Houin shared additional details about the proposal. According to a published legal notice, the annexation involves 20 parcels totaling approximately 897.21 acres in North and Center townships, generally bounded by Sixth Road to the north, the golf course to the south, Michigan Road to the west and Lilac Road to the east.
The annexation petition was filed September 25 by Indiana Tool & Mfg. Co. Inc. and IN50 - Lilac Holdings LLC. The company is also seeking to rezone the property for industrial use.
The project would use Indiana Tool’s largely vacant original manufacturing facility as a business incubator, providing space for technology companies to develop before potentially expanding onto surrounding property.
“We want to build the infrastructure and environment that allow Plymouth to compete for industries and technologies that may not even exist today,” said Indiana Tool President Gary Neidig in the company’s announcement.
During the commission meeting, Houin explained that future utility extensions would be the developer’s responsibility. He also discussed the possibility of tax increment financing for future projects, although no funding has been approved.
The proposed district would focus on advanced manufacturing, research, cybersecurity and entrepreneurship, with the goal of attracting investment and creating employment opportunities.
A public hearing on the proposed annexation is scheduled for Monday, November 9, at 6:30 p.m. at Plymouth City Hall, 124 North Michigan Street.
No construction timeline, projected investment amount or specific number of jobs has been announced.
Editor’s Note: The accompanying parcel map and identification key were independently created by Michiana Scanner Chatter using parcel identification numbers from the published annexation notice and geographic information from the Marshall County/Indiana Beacon GIS system. These graphics are provided for informational purposes only and should not be mistaken for official government documents or legal surveys.