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City leaders in Lexington say a plan to acquire and manage assets tied to a shuttered meatpacking plant marks an early step toward economic recovery following widespread layoffs earlier this year.In January, Tyson Foods largely closed its facility in Lexington, putting thousands of workers out of jobs and dealing a major blow to the local economy.City officials say the full effect is still unfolding.“We’re waiting to realize what those impacts will be. I don’t think we’ve seen the rock bottom at this point,” Lexington City Manager Joe Pepplitsch said. “But we will. We’re waiting to understand what that will be.”Now, city and company officials are working toward a potential path forward. In a news release issued this week, Lexington announced plans to acquire and manage several Tyson-owned assets adjacent to the plant, including a wastewater treatment facility and surrounding farmland.Pepplitsch described the effort as an opportunity for long-term redevelopment.“We’re looking at this as a rebranding, a rebirth,” he said.READ MORE: ‘People leaving were crying’: Lexington residents recall Tyson plant closure, and look to what the future holdsThe city hopes control of the property — particularly its wastewater capacity — will make the site more attractive to future employers.“Having the city be able to market that property,” Pepplitsch said.State and federal officials have praised the move. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer said in a social media post that the step would “boost economic and job opportunities in the area.”Pepplitsch said the long-term goal is not to replace the plant’s workforce with a single employer, but to broaden the local economy.“We’re not going to replace 3,000 employees overnight,” he said. “What we would like to see is some diversification — multiple employers with reasonable employee counts — spread that risk out over all those different entities.”Some local business owners support the plan but say uncertainty remains.Ramon Prado, a Lexington business owner, said he supports the move but says concerns about jobs and costs persist in the community.“This will have maintenance costs,” Prado said. “And some people are already thinking, well, this is going to be even more expensive with taxes, and we don’t have a job.”Still, Prado called the city’s move a necessary first step.“We needed to build houses. Well, they had lots and the land to do it,” he said. “We need to bring in employers. We better have control on these assets so that we can have something good to offer,” Prado said. READ MORE: ‘Whole life just came crashing down’: Lexington Tyson plant closesCity officials have not yet released detailed plans for how the assets will be used and say discussions with Tyson are ongoing to determine a future operator for the facility.Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
City leaders in Lexington say a plan to acquire and manage assets tied to a shuttered meatpacking plant marks an early step toward economic recovery following widespread layoffs earlier this year.
In January, Tyson Foods largely closed its facility in Lexington, putting thousands of workers out of jobs and dealing a major blow to the local economy.
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City officials say the full effect is still unfolding.
“We’re waiting to realize what those impacts will be. I don’t think we’ve seen the rock bottom at this point,” Lexington City Manager Joe Pepplitsch said. “But we will. We’re waiting to understand what that will be.”
Now, city and company officials are working toward a potential path forward. In a news release issued this week, Lexington announced plans to acquire and manage several Tyson-owned assets adjacent to the plant, including a wastewater treatment facility and surrounding farmland.
Pepplitsch described the effort as an opportunity for long-term redevelopment.
“We’re looking at this as a rebranding, a rebirth,” he said.
The city hopes control of the property — particularly its wastewater capacity — will make the site more attractive to future employers.
“Having the city be able to market that property,” Pepplitsch said.
State and federal officials have praised the move. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer said in a social media post that the step would “boost economic and job opportunities in the area.”
Pepplitsch said the long-term goal is not to replace the plant’s workforce with a single employer, but to broaden the local economy.
“We’re not going to replace 3,000 employees overnight,” he said. “What we would like to see is some diversification — multiple employers with reasonable employee counts — spread that risk out over all those different entities.”
Some local business owners support the plan but say uncertainty remains.
Ramon Prado, a Lexington business owner, said he supports the move but says concerns about jobs and costs persist in the community.
“This will have maintenance costs,” Prado said. “And some people are already thinking, well, this is going to be even more expensive with taxes, and we don’t have a job.”
Still, Prado called the city’s move a necessary first step.
“We needed to build houses. Well, they had lots and the land to do it,” he said. “We need to bring in employers. We better have control on these assets so that we can have something good to offer,” Prado said.
READ MORE: ‘Whole life just came crashing down’: Lexington Tyson plant closes
City officials have not yet released detailed plans for how the assets will be used and say discussions with Tyson are ongoing to determine a future operator for the facility.
Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
