Bringing growth and development to rural areas was one of the goals of those who worked for decades to get U.S. Highway 20 widened to four lanes all across the state.

The four-lane highway was at long last completed in October 2018.

With the highway done, officials in Calhoun County have moved to bring that goal of growth and development closer to reality.

On Thursday, ground was broken for the Calhoun County Business Park. It is located near the four-lane route’s juncture with Iowa Highway 4. It consists of 115 acres, which will be divided into 19 lots. The first task will be extending 232nd Street into the site.

At least one business has already expressed interest in the park.

Creating this park represents a leap of faith for those who planned it, because there were no businesses waiting to buy up lots within the complex. The business park was created with the belief that if a quality site was available next to the highway juncture, industries would want to be there. That location offers good access to ground transportation in an area known for skilled workers.

Jill Heisterkamp, the executive director of the Calhoun County Economic Development Corp., deserves special thanks for the development of the business park. She had worked to create it since coming to the county in 2016. Now, as she prepares to move on, her vision for the project is being realized.

A team of local and state government officials, joined by business leaders, worked together to create the park. A state grant was secured to help pay for the necessary street work.

We applaud the government and business leaders of Calhoun County who made this park possible. We look forward to seeing many years of growth at the site.