The Plainfield Town Council has agreed to spend $500,000 over the next five years to help Vincennes University create the VU Logistics Training and Education Center, the college announced Tuesday.

The council decided Monday night to contribute to the start-up costs of the center, which will house training equipment, classrooms and laboratories for students interested in logistics careers.

Plainfield, a Hendricks County suburb, has capitalized on its proximity to Indianapolis International Airport and Interstate 70 to become a hub for distribution centers.

“This new center will help attract and retain employers, create a highly trained work force, and enhance Plainfield’s role as a leading logistics community," Plainfield Town Council President Robin Brandgard said in a prepared statement.

Vincennes has been developing its logistics program for the past two years and offers classes on its main campus, the Jasper campus and at a facility in Gibson County, President Dick Helton said. The Plainfield center will offer short-term training for people already working in the industry, certificates needed for jobs such as operating a fork lift and the schools associate's degree in supply-chain management.

Vincennes expects to spend $250,000 to $300,000 a year on operating costs, Helton said. Vincennes is close to reaching a lease agreement for a site on Ronald Reagan Parkway, he said.