Officials with the Lawrence Economic Development Corporation want the community to come celebrate an historic day for The Point industrial park at the groundbreaking for a $2.36 million infrastructure project.

The LEDC will host the ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Friday just inside the park near Collins Avenue. The public is invited to the event that will include visits by state, federal and local economic development leaders.

South Point-based company Bill Enyart & Sons Contracting Inc. signed a $2.36 million contract last month for the project that will construct water, sewer, storm drains and roads that access approximately 200 acres of the 500-acre park.

Dr. Bill Dingus, executive director of the LEDC and the Greater Lawrence County Area Chamber of Commerce, called the groundbreaking one of the most important days for the park.

"This day is the result of probably two to two-and-a-half years of hard work from my predecessor, community leaders and state leaders in amassing nearly $2.5 million in funding," Dingus said. "The result of this day will offer 180-200 acres of the best industrial developable land within a 100 mile region."

Infrastructure is the "lifeblood of any company" and the river and rail access makes the property ideal for industrial development, Dingus said.

"For the LEDC and the LEDC board, jobs are the most important responsibility they have," he said. "We are talking $12 to $20 per hour jobs with benefits. The kind of jobs that will maintain and perpetuate strong middle-income families."

Site work for the project has already begun. The entire 180-day project is expected to be completed in September.

Enyart & Sons will install an eight-inch water main, 10-inch sewer lines and build more than two miles of two-lane blacktopped, 24-foot wide roads.

Portsmouth-based company Portco Inc. has already started the construction of a 42,000 square-foot steel shell building on the other side of the park that should be ready to be occupied by the end of May.