ROUTE 4 GETS MAJOR DEVELOPMENT WITH THIRD EYE BREWING CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT ON ROUTE 4 BOOSTS SIGNIFICANT AREA POSSIBILITIES.

 REDEVELOPMENT of Route 4, a highly traveled corridor in Hamilton, is catching its stride. With a daily traffic flow of over 20,000 cars, the Third Eye Brewing project is a major part of the area's recent investments. The $3.1 million development of the former

Pepsi Bottling Plant, boasts a state-ofthe-art 10,000 square foot production facility and a spacious tap room, complete with a full-service kitchen. Scheduled for completion later in 2023, this project is sure to be a game changer for the area.

Nearby, the YWCA recently opened its doors to a brand new $11 million facility. The development momentum along Route 4 is palpable, and we eagerly anticipate the exciting new possibilities that lie ahead for this corridor.

 IF YOU DRIVE down the major roads in Hamilton your eyes get drawn to the new businesses that seemingly are popping up by the dozens. Citizens get justifiably excited about the landscape of the city’s dining and entertainment options, but rarely stop to think about the collateral benefits that a thriving economy can bring to a community.

The renaissance of Hamilton is exactly that, a rebirth. The businesses that have built a legacy in this town are stronger than ever and are still bringing prosperity to Hamilton— perhaps most importantly, they’re still offering employment opportunities for Hamiltonians.

“There was a time when we were dominated by maybe a couple of industries in the city,” said Jody Gunderson, Hamilton’s director of economic development. “While those companies are great, you can’t have all your eggs in one basket.”

Hamilton has done a fantastic job at recruiting companies, to not only stimulate the economy but make it so that we aren’t at the mercy of the they were going to expand, and they expanded into a new facility in Hamilton, in preparation for their next 100 years. That is quite the compliment to the city and its residents.” and Matandy/Linrose have created a benefit to both themselves and their employees by staying in business in Hamilton’s classic neighborhoods like Lindenwald. By staying in town they’re benefitting from the city's reliable utilities and creating shorter commutes for their workers. Almost giving a throwback to 100 years ago, ebbs and flows of just one industry.

For decades, after the initial boost of expansion within the city limits, people and companies began to look outside and move to the suburbs.

“I think we have done a fantastic job at focusing on the diversification of the types of companies that we are recruiting,” said Gunderson. “It has served us well.”

The combination of new industries creating jobs and the companies that stayed here in the City of Sculpture have curated a sustainable influx of opportunities for citizens. Four thousand jobs have been created in Hamilton over the past decade.

“When it comes to legacy companies, like Hamilton Caster, which has been around for 120 years, there are lots of opportunities to look elsewhere,” said Gunderson on companies having a chance to leave. “They decided

America saw this across the country and now people and companies are coming back. Hamilton has to showcase its best attributes to recruit businesses to come to town and stay.

“We spend a considerable amount of time evaluating what [Hamilton’s] true assets are,” said Gunderson. “New companies typically are reliable utility customers. Whether it be electricity, water, or natural gas, all of those things need to be incredibly reliable. Hamilton has been in the utility business for over 100 years, and in that period we’ve gotten better and our infrastructure has gotten better. That attracts a lot of business to Hamilton.”

Along with Hamilton Caster, companies like Kaivac, Darana Hybrid, when employees would walk to work.

“It’s very interesting, it’s kind of the old is new again,” said Gunderson on these companies once again being in the same neighborhoods where their employees live. “It’s not the necessity that it used to be, but it’s a benefit to both parties.”

Companies get the reliability of having an employee live close by, while the resident spends less time commuting, and in turn, more time with family.

Through recruiting new companies to expand inside of Hamilton, while simultaneously taking care of legacy businesses that have long been staple of this town, the city is building a thriving economy within the community.