Community members filled the room Wednesday at Crestview Church for a Pottawatomie County meeting about the upcoming construction of the Scorpion biomanufacturing facility.
The purpose of the meeting was to allow the public to voice their concerns and ask questions about the project.
The new building will be located off of Highway 24 and Excel Road in Blue Township. The arrival and location of the facility has created many concerns for the community.
Highway 24 is known for traffic issues and accidents, and many individuals feel that the facility will only add to the problem.
According to city officials, Highway 24 falls under the jurisdiction of the Kansas Department of Transportation, however one community member felt this only means KDOT needs to be more involved.
Pottawatomie County Commissioner Dee McKee said that she has experience with planning alternate routes for traffic during construction projects and hopes to see this remain a prominent conversation.
Other concerns voiced by the public involved drainage and flood complications, the scale and duration of construction, as well as the samples the facility will be testing.
Scorpion plans to have the facility open and operational at the beginning of 2025.
