Creekstone Farms Premium Beef is proposing a $35 million expansion of its facility in Arkansas City. The company is already one of Cowley County’s largest employers.
Creekstone officials have approached the city about plans to build a cold storage facility for warehousing, and purchasing the necessary equipment to operate it. City commissioners have been briefed on the project ahead of their Tuesday regular meeting.
Creekstone is expected to apply for an economic development property tax exemption for the project. Commissioners would need to approve that exemption.
Instead of paying property tax, the company would agree to a payment in lieu of taxes and provide $30,000 a year for 10 years to fund the city’s planned improvements to Wilson Park.
The amount of the exemption being sought was not included in initial information provided to city commissioners, but similarly sized exemptions in the past have been valued at $4 million or more.
The new facility would be constructed at 604 Goff Industrial Park Rd., which is the site of Creekstone’s current facilities.
The company most recently partially rebuilt and expanded its local operations following a fire at the plant in 2013.
The city commission meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall in Ark City.
(Photo from Google Maps)
