By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — Attracting a new start-up car manufacturer with the financial backing of Jeff Bezos — one of the richest men in the world — would be a grand slam story for almost any small community in the country.

But add to that the separate announcement of Michigan-based Autocam Medical’s decision to expand with a new orthopedic facility in Warsaw, and you have a memorable year in economic development likely unmatched in local history.

Combined, Slate Auto and Autocam Medical's plans easily represent the biggest story of the year in Kosciusko County.

Peggy Friday, the executive director for Kosciusko County Economic Development Corp., said she thinks efforts in industrial growth merit an A+ grade.

[caption id="attachment_124829" align="alignright" width="400"] Slate Auto CEO Chris Barman speaks during an open house in late August at its facility on Old Road 30 in Warsaw. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

"Landing Slate, making a case for Autocam and finding a location for them — that doesn’t just happen overnight or by chance," Friday said. "It’s very intentional."

KEDCO worked closely with Kosciusko County officials on an incentive plan to lock in Slate's consideration.

Friday was hired in May of 2024 to replace KEDCO's previous leader, Alan Tio.

"For the first year of KEDCO that I’ve been here. I think it’s been phenomenal. We have a lot to be proud of," Friday said.

[caption id="attachment_124742" align="alignright" width="400"] Construction of Union Station Lofts on McKinley Street is progressing. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

Slate is investing around $400 million over two decades to transform the former national printing plant and plans to employ upward of 1,900 people.

Autocam Medical, which became enamored with the local workforce after using part of Medtronic’s facility over the past year or so, announced plans to construct a new plant in the Warsaw Technology Park that will employ 300 people with a promise of good wages.

Slate's arrival also checks the proverbial box in terms of working to diversify the economic base beyond orthopedics — a goal held by many local leaders who worry about relying too much on a single industry, even though medtech's future trajectory for sustained growth continues to look bright.

[caption id="attachment_124735" align="alignright" width="400"] Lake City Bank's $12 million renovation of a building west of its headquarters will result in an Innovation and Technology Center ready for occupancy in 2026. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

Slate’s reconfiguration of the 1.4 million square foot property on Old Road 30, which began last summer, is also a huge victory in terms of reinvigorating a massive industrial property that went silent just over two years ago and could have easily fallen into decay.

The plant is expected to start making the electric pickup trucks in late 2026.

Those two instances of industrial growth also coincide with significant development in or near downtown Warsaw, much of which is expected to come to fruition in 2026.

Those include the construction of the Millworks apartment complex planned for the old Owen's grocery store west of downtown.

Another apartment complex, this one on the site of the old Gakte property, Union Station Lofts, is currently under construction on McKinley Street just north of Winona Avenue.

Another huge investment involves Lake City Bank's $12 million renovation of a 35,600-square-foot building west of its headquarters along Center Street for an Innovation and Technology Center.

At the same time, the Warsaw Redevelopment Commission lined up a company to significantly redevelop the old Marsh grocery store on South Buffalo Street for a future large antique mall and other proposed retail uses.

The city acquired the land for $1.25 million in hopes of somehow reinvigorating the commercial property and is now expected to eventually recover nearly all of its investment.

Renovations to the old Marsh building are expected to continue into much of 2026.

The city also pulled off a victory in convincing the owners of Hobby Lobby to build a new store in the Marketplace of Warsaw, which has been on the rebound in the past two years after officials worried it could eventually become entirely vacant.

Fans of Hobby Lobby had been hoping to see the company have a presence in Warsaw for years, and the future store should open late next year after several storefronts on the east end of the shopping center are razed to make room for new construction.

In terms of economic development, Friday said there's more to come in 2026.

"We’re going to have a lot to celebrate in ‘26," Friday said. "There are so many projects that are in the hopper for right now, and we look forward to the momentum that we’ve gained.” 

She also points out that the recent 'County of the Year' from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce underscores what’s happening.

“That was just a rubber stamp that we must be doing something right,” she said.

[caption id="attachment_124737" align="aligncenter" width="781"] The early stages of construction for the Millworks apartments west of downtown began this fall. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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WARSAW — The first major sign of construction, an elevator shaft, is now visible at the site of the future apartments and commercial development on the old Gatke property on McKinley Street in Warsaw.

The Reuben Williams Lofts are a $20 million development. The project will include about 75 market-rate apartments, 4,300 square feet of commercial space and what is described as 12,000 square feet of flex space for commercial/live work units.

The four-story lofts are being named in honor of a historical Civil War legend whose family continues to own the Times-Union newspaper in Warsaw.

The developer is Rebar Development, Fishers. The contractor (pictured) is CPM of Indianapolis. 

A completion date has not yet been set.

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WARSAW -- Winona Avenue -- from Detroit Street in Warsaw to the town of Winona Lake -- is one of four Warsaw corridors being eyed for major redevelopment projects.

Warsaw is one of three cities participating in a pilot program launched by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation which is providing support from the Brookings Institute and another group, the Local Initiatives Support Council, to local leaders to develop proposals that would be used to significantly improve four existing corridors -- Winona Avenue, Argonne Road, Market Street and Buffalo Street.

The state initiative involving the cities of Warsaw, Michigan City and Seymor is a year-long exercise in which each city is investigating ways to improve the corridors, which should lead to specific proposals to the state later this year.

The endeavor is being led locally by Kosciusko Economic Development Corp., with support from the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, the Kosciusko County Community Foundation, and the city plan office.

Winona Avenue appears to be a top priority, according to several community leaders.

The 1.5-mile stretch of roadway is an intense retail district that is heavily traveled and looks tired from decades of neglect. Much of the road lacks curbs or sidewalks or good lighting.

The road is home to at least eight eateries, two strip malls and is dominated by small businesses. It's also home to an agency that serves the disabled, a homeless shelter, a foundry and numerous empty storefronts and buildings.

Officials said they think it deserves much more attention than just a new streetscape.

KEDCo Executive Director Alan Tio referenced the need to improve Winona Avenue last month when officials unveiled plans to redevelop the old Gatke property on McKinley Street just north of Winona Avenue into a multi-use apartment complex.

Tio said that development could tie in directly with improvements on Winona Avenue.

Locally, a large group representing various interests in the city has been meeting for about four months, according to Suzie Light, one of the leaders of a large advisory committee.

Light agrees Winona Avenue needs a lot of work -- especially in terms of walkability -- and said the new initiative is a chance to dream big.

She tossed out a few hypothetical ideas.

“Let’s Just imagine what that would look like if that was the international market corridor. What if that were an extension of how the vibe of the Village at Winona comes through Winona Avenue into downtown Warsaw?" Light said.

After completion of the local “labs” from the three cities, Brookings and LISC will synthesize the learnings from Indiana into a playbook for a national audience, that highlights how rural and small cuties can work with regional leaders and state agencies “to foster greater equity and prosperity,” according to paperwork provided by KEDCo.

Light said they want specific proposals ready ahead of the next round of READI grants operated by the state.

“We’re hoping to get three to five big transformative projects that could be eligible for READI funding when it's announced,” Light said. “Along with that, there are going to be smaller projects that local funding could address.”

City Planner Justin Taylor says the enhancements will be a long-term project that will take years to finish and will likely be complicated by lots of right-of-way issues.

“I wish we could just snap our fingers and go in there tomorrow and make it this great pedestrian corridor and have the streets redone and everything, but it’s a process and we have to take our time and do it right,” Taylor said.

He said they'll also work to be sensitive to the interests of property owners.

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