Dallas-based CCD I-65 LLC will build the facility for the tiremaker. Officials from both companies did not return calls forcomment for this story. Cheryl Morphew with the Johnson CountyDevelopment Corp., a public-private economic development firm nearFranklin, says Cooper will lease the building for an unknown term.The building is expected to open by mid-2009, and will employ 60people by 2011, she says.

Morphew says though the city, south of Indianapolis, seesdistribution center development all the time, this one is unique inthat the Cooper building will be constructed to the LEED-certifiedstandard. In return, the Indiana Economic Development Corp. hasoffered the company $312,000 in tax credits and $47,500 in traininggrants; as well as a $110,000 infrastructure improvement grant, andthe city will provide property tax abatements, $275,000 in TIF forarchitectural enhancement, assistance with the LEED requirementsand improvements to the roads around the facility.

"This will be one of the largest LEED-certified facilities inthe state, it's really what drove the incentives," Matthews tellsGlobeSt.com. "As the crossroads to America, we're used todistribution centers, especially being near Plainfield, IN withFedEx and CSX. With this, however, we're hoping that the buildingencourages more developers that they can use more earth-friendlymaterials and designs."