Doonan Trucking of Central Kansas is looking to bring a semi truck dealership and service facility north of Interstate 70 at exit 157.
The truck and equipment dealer has locations in Great Bend and Wichita and Attorney Chris Sook represent them at the Ellis County Commission meeting Monday evening.
Sook said they are still in the planning phase but the manufacture of the service facility wants the location up and running by spring of 2014.
Some of the issues they are running into are how they are going to get water to the site and there is Mid-West Energy transmission lines running through the 22 acre property that will have to be moved.
Another sticking point is 55th street which borders the north side of the property. The current chip seal on the street would not hold up to the increase in traffic that will accompany the dealership and the company has asked the County if they would be willing to contribute to the upgrade of the road section. County Administrator Greg Sund said they do not have any money contributed to the project.
Sund contacted BG Consultants about a possibly upgrading a 1,350 foot section of 55th Street. The firm estimated a 24 foot wide rural section would cost at least $319,700 and a 30 foot wide urban section with curb and gutters would be at least $482,425. But those figures do not include turning lanes.
Sook said that they are hoping to work with the county to get the dealership up and running and then they would go to the city if needed. There are still some sticking points with the city and upgrades to 55th street.
Aaron White, Executive Director of the Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development was also at the meeting and he said they have ran a couple of different models and they showed the dealership and service station would have a positive impact on the county and state. Sook added they believe the dealership alone will add 17 jobs.
Sook said as soon as the company can get water and power issues they would come back before the board to inquire about a Special Benefit District. This type of funding can be used for roads and streets as well as sewer or drainage structures among other things.