Utilities
Corridor Vision
A majority of the Corridor is not currently served by public utilities with the exception of the southern most part of the study area including the southwest corner. The goal of the public utilities was to continue to expand the access to utilities north along University Parkway. To achieve this goal a number of improvements are required to better serve the area. Some of these include sewer system rehabilitation, lift station improvements, water main extensions at Eickhoff Road and Middle Mt. Vernon, Creamery Road lift station, trunk line capacity upgrade, etc.
The Vision for Vanderburgh County’s University Parkway Corridor will continue to be a scenic, safe, and accessible thoroughfare for all. To achieve these characteristics, the corridor will encourage safe multimodal transportation, balanced growth, and preservation of natural assets. All modes of transportation will have appropriate facilities providing safe and easy access along and around University Parkway. Growth along the corridor will be managed so that impacts to the rural character are minimal, while providing neighborhood commercial, services, and residential development. This new development will not be prioritized over existing natural and agricultural land to preserve the rural appeal of the University Parkway Corridor.
Market Analysis The market is not something that is unique to the University Parkway Corridor. Evansville and Vanderburgh County influence the Parkway’s economic climate, so the Market Analysis observed the conditions for the County to gather a broader understanding of the current market area and what development may be appropriate for the Parkway. Generally, the County has a strong employment sector acting as the center of employment for surrounding counties. Vanderburgh County produces more jobs than their population can support requiring the surrounding counties to export employees to Vanderburgh County.
To achieve this vision, there are several overall project goals that were developed to create the scenic, safe and accessible thoroughfare. This corridor plan is designed to compliment existing studies by providing more in-depth details and recommendations to the corridor. The following goals will be further elaborated on in the detailed recommendations found in each chapter of the plan. Each goal is broken down into a overall classification including development, transportation, utilities, environmental, institutions, and recreation.
The commercial market is strong, and the County has an abundance of retail. The University Parkway Corridor is well served with most retail needs within a 20-minute drive. This high quantity of retail does cause some concerns as a sizable percentage is currently vacant (17%) and is higher than the average for the Midwest. Industrial in the County accounts for 12 percent of the economy by employment. This employment sector is quite diverse in the types of companies. However, a few such as plastics, rubber production, and food manufacturing have the most potential to grow. University Parkway does not have any industrial nearby as this use is mostly located along major highways that connect to I-69 or I-64.
Introduction 4
