The historic Jeffboat waterfront in Jeffersonville is set for redevelopment after the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) approved a $20 million USD grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. Combined with a $6.5 million Indiana READI grant, the funding will support transforming the former shipyard along the Ohio River into a mixed-use development with residential, retail and green spaces.
George Piccioni, vice president of business development at ACBL stated: “We are grateful to Gov. Mike Braun and the IEDC team for their continued support of this redevelopment project. The Lilly Endowment grant, combined with the READI grant from Our Southern Indiana RDA, is the result of more than four years of planning, investment and due diligence by ACBL and its stakeholders.”
The redevelopment will be led by ACBL in partnership with Thrive Companies, a Columbus-based real estate developer, and The Wheatley Group, an Indiana advisory firm specialising in economic development and real estate initiatives.
Steve Bollinger, principal and executive vice president of development at Thrive Companies, said: “We couldn’t be more excited about this project and the opportunity to invest in the State of Indiana. The welcome we’ve received, from the local level all the way up to the state, has been something truly special. We’re eager to start shaping the site and bringing it to life together with ACBL and the City of Jeffersonville.”
According to a report by Aprile Rickert of Louisville Public Media, the site, which closed in 2018 after 80 years of barge-building operations, occupies land that originally housed the Howard shipyard, established in 1838 for steamboat production.
The redevelopment aims to generate jobs, stimulate economic growth and strengthen the Southern Indiana region. Construction is projected to begin in late 2028 or early 2029, following nine to 12 months of site preparation.
