Franklin County will have a new industrial park by the end of the year, according to a news release.

The county and the city of Ottawa are jointly funding the 303-acre industrial park at 2178 Montana Road. It will be located on the southeast side of U.S. 59 and Interstate 35, south of Ottawa.

The city of Ottawa will pay to extend water, wastewater, electric and broadband service to the new site, and Franklin County will complete road and bridge improvements on Montana and Kingman roads, according to the news release. The land itself will cost $1.61 million, but the cost of extending utilities is estimated at about $20 million.

The Franklin County Development Council, the county and the city reported they considered about 100 sites since they began talking eight years ago about adding a new industrial park. The partners expect to complete the purchase this month. The city had already extended utility lines to a travel plaza in the same area, and nearby highway access made it a desirable location, according to the news release.

Jeff Seymour, executive director of the Franklin County Development Council, said the area was losing projects because it didn’t have "shovel-ready" sites for large projects that need at least 80 acres. For example, Hill’s Pet Nutrition had looked at building near Ottawa, but decided to put its new facility in Emporia because Ottawa didn’t have the right location, he said in the news release. That project included a $100 million investment and created about 100 new jobs.

The industrial park will attempt to attract businesses in warehousing, distribution and high-tech manufacturing.

The development council reported the last time Franklin County added a large amount of industrial park space was when a group of investors bought the property that would become the Northeast Ottawa Industrial Park in the 1940s.

Ottawa Mayor Linda Reed said the new park will help the city to continue to grow.

"City commissioners and staff are always looking at what is needed not just for current citizens but also for future generations to come," she said. "We want Ottawa and Franklin County to be a place that attracts and keeps new jobs."