This aerial view shows the new Eastowne Industrial Park and it's proximity to Deer Park residential areas.

It's not much yet, but city planners are hoping an eastern tract of land will soon be booming with buildings.

The St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday afternoon for the Eastowne Business Park which, currently, is 350 acres of land and the start of a road.

Chamber president and CEO, Ted Allison, said the site is for new and expanding industries and is an essential part of the economic development program. The park is located

located on Providence Hill, near the intersections of Pickett and Riverside roads. Allison also announced KCP&L's intent to purchase land at the site, for the purpose of building a new sub-station.

Businesses that located there will have access to Interstate 29 and US 36 highways.

Allison compared Eastowne to the Mitchell Woods Business Park in that it will create new jobs and captial investment. Not everyone is thrilled about the new business park.

The residential area, Deer Park is across from the proposed industrial area.near Pickett Road. St. Joe Now caught up with some neighbors, who declined to go on camera, but said they didn't want an industrial park near the neighborhood. One neighbor, who's lived in Deer Park for nearly 30 years said quote: "It was shoved down our throats. You never had a choice on it. city council does what they want to." That person said several meetings were held with Deer Park residents at Skaith Elementary regarding what to do about the new business park.