HANCOCK COUNTY — It's Walmart. The retail giant plans to build what it says will be the company's biggest distribution facility on what is currently farmland outside McCordsville in Hancock County.
The announcement, which was made to the Hancock County Council, ends speculation over what will be built at County Roads 500 North and 500 West, about two-and-a-half miles north of the Mt. Comfort Road/I-70 interchange and near Indianapolis Regional Airport. The site is just to the east of Mt. Comfort Road.
The council has given its initial approval to the plan. A final vote will be taken following a public hearing next month, according to Randy Sorrell, Executive Director of the Hancock County Economic Development Council.
Walmart is the world's largest company by revenue. The Hancock County distribution facility will be 2.2 million square feet, cover 200 acres—including a 2,000 space parking lot. Sorrell expects 1,000 people to work there at the start.
The project's cost is estimated at $600 million. Tax breaks for Walmart must be approved by the council, but even with the abatements, Sorrell said the company would still pay millions in Hancock County property taxes.
If all goes as planned, ground will be broken this fall and the facility would open in the spring of 2023.
Walmart will be the second big distribution operation to recently come to Hancock County. Amazon is building one about two miles from the Walmart site. It is expected to be ready this fall an employ about 800 people.
Better roads will be needed to handle truck and employee traffic. That means adding lanes to Mt. Comfort Road so semi trucks and workers will have decent access to and from Interstate-70. Sorrell said the county is working on that and hopes to have road improvements finished by the time Walmart opens.
