Ribbon cutting at Great Plains Industrial Park near Parsons - KOAM TV 7

Ribbon cutting at Great Plains Industrial Park near Parsons

Kansas officials attended a ribbon cutting event Thursday to mark the opening of the Great Plains Industrial Park in southeast Kansas.

The new park includes nearly 14,000 acres of the former Kansas Army Ammunition Plant near Parsons.

Officials want to move businesses into the park and say the land can accommodate just about any type of industry and includes its own water and waste water systems.

"Our ultimate objective is job creation and economic recovery," says Dan Goddard of the Great Plains Development Authority.  "Creating a climate where companies are willing to invest in, where people can go to work and earn a decent living.  As a result of that, we would be increasing the employment, increasing the tax base in our community, and not just Labette County, it's the entire Southeast Kansas region."

The first business to buy some of the land is Progress Rail, a rail car repair company.