Delphi Industrial Park LLC., an investment group from Monticello with Carroll County ties, purchased the former Globe-Valve industrial site Dec. 11. The investment group is headed by Adams Township native Jeff Van Weelden, who also owns Indiana Waste Systems, the company that contracted with the city for the 2009 trash collection. It was the city’s connection to the trash business which led to the purchase of the no-longer-used 150,000-square foot building located on N. Washington St. The area which includes the building will be known as Delphi Industrial Park LLC.

“I was driving around with the mayor looking at the trash route in 2008 and asked about the property when we passed by it,” Weelden said. “I recognized an opportunity for my investment group and for the City of Delphi.”

Weelden said the group’s goal is to clean and rehabilitate the building. It will be fully remodeled on the inside to make the interior into two individual sites for manufacturers or warehousing.

“The roof has been leaking and there is water damage to repair right now,” Weelden said. “We hope to entice two tenants into the renovated space. We expect the work to be done by the middle of next spring.”

Included in the purchase of the main building was a detached building, which is smaller. Delphi Mayor Randy Strasser said it is his goal for the city to purchase the smaller building, which is approximately 25,000 square feet, and move the street department into it.

“Now that they have the facilities – we can start putting some numbers together,” Strasser said.

Strasser explained the city would move the street department, including the fuel farm and recycling services. He said a plan to coordinate storage space with the county highway department is also being discussed.

“We will begin talking with the city council about the purchase after a proposal is received from the new owners,” Strasser said.

Carroll County Economic Development Director Daryl Smith said he worked “hand-in-hand” with the mayor to bring the sale of the building to fruition.

“This is exciting for us to see this building put back into use,” he said.

Strasser said when he was elected mayor two years ago he told Smith the city and EDC “needed to get out and peddle that building.”

Smith said he tried for several months to get a price from the owners for the building, which they were using for storage.

“Basically, Globe-Valve International didn’t get on board at that time,” he explained. “However the corporation reorganized in December 2008 and things changed then.”

“The sale of this building can give residents hope that businesses can come back to this area,” Strasser said. “The new owners could employ local residents or house local manufacturing businesses.”

He said when jobs become available in the remodeled building, that action could attract other businesses.

“This could set the domino effect for other business concerns,” Strasser said.

The mayor explained that now that the building has been sold, additional utilities may need to be extended toward West Delphi. He said making the nearby area a tax incremental financing district as a revenue source for infrastructure was under consideration as well.

Weelden said he welcomes inquiries from anyone about space usage. He said information can be obtained by calling the mayor at (765) 564-3039. Weelden can be reached at Indiana Waste at (574) 583-7949 or by cell phone at (574) 870- 1335.

Strasser concluded by saying that Delphi should begin to think “regionally” rather than locally to be successful in economic development.

“We have to start thinking – when they come to the Lafayette Region, why do they come to Delphi?” he said. “Just because we are a small community doesn’t mean we can’t grow.”