DevelopOhio

Officials in Madison County have watched the transformation of Delaware County from a rural community to a “commercial powerhouse,” and now they hope an investment in infrastructure will bring the same type of change to their county, The Columbus Dispatch reports. Near the intersection of Interstate 70 and Route 42, a drilling rig pumps water “from an aquifer 350 feet below in the quest for a perfect source of groundwater . . . [that] will eventually be cleansed in a water plant, fill a water tower and flow under new streets,” according to the article. County Commissioner Paul Gross “envisions a corridor of development springing up,” saying, “[t]hat is the primary impetus, economic development. We’re doing our part to make sure we have the infrastructure to invite the businesses into our community.” State Senator Bob Hackett, a former Madison County commissioner, said Ohio’s improving economy, increased local-government funding, and state and federal grants have made projects like this one more affordable for small, rural counties. Gross called the project “the most significant thing that advances Madison County’s future.”