Leavenworth county commissioners unanimously voted Thursday to allow Tonganoxie to expand by 237 acres in an island annexation south of town.

The land was purchased as part of the county’s attempt to find and develop a new industrial park.

“I think this is a good thing for our city,” Jason Ward, Tonganoxie council member, said after the vote. “It allows Tonganoxie to participate in the development of the industrial park. If and when development occurs, we will now be able to enjoy the economic benefits.”

The city purchased the land at the southeast corner of Kansas Avenue and County Road 1 in October 2008 for $1.38 million.

An initial engineering study estimated the cost to develop 144 acres of the land for the industrial park to be around $13 million.

The Tonganoxie site is still in competition with an 85-acre tract in Leavenworth for the industrial park. A decision on the location of the industrial park is expected in the next six months.

Jeff Culbertson, Leavenworth County GIS director, said before the annexation Tonganoxie encompassed 2,140 acres.