Polk County Rail Hub

CSX officials announced a plan Wednesday to build a distribution center with rail access on property currently owned by the city on Pollard Road east of Wahneta.

Plans call for CSX to purchase 1,250 acres of property for $21.8 million. The sale will be considered by city commissioners at 7:30 p.m. Monday in City Hall.

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"This project will be a tremendous asset to our community," said David Greene, Winter Haven city manager. "As experiences with similar facilities have shown, the ILC could generate more than 8,000 jobs in Winter Haven and Polk County as companies establish nearby warehousing, manufacturing and logistics operations." -- The Lakeland Ledger

A number of issues must be addressed before the deal for CSX railroad to purchase 1,250 acres from the city can be finalized.

CSX plans to build a $112 million regional distribution center on the property south of Eagle Lake Loop Road and east of Wahneta.

Initially, the city may have to pay more than $8.1 million of the $21.8 million purchase price to the Environmental Protection Agency. Although the property was purchased in 1975 for $1.5 million using EPA grant funding, EPA officials have told city officials they would owe about 37.5 percent of the sale proceeds to the EPA.

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There's also the need for access to the property from State Road 60, about two miles to the south, McMahon said.

"By contract, CSX needs to obtain the easements or purchase property outright to make the connection to State Road 60," he said. "The city is going to work with CSX, Polk County and the state to acquire available transportation grants and other funding to accomplish that." -- The Lakeland Ledger

Like most U.S. railroads, the growth of intermodal shipping, where containers are moved from one mode of transportation to another without off-loading contents, has been a crucial part of the economic mix. However, the privately-borne costs of terminal construction, coupled with massive taxpayer-funded highway construction over the past decades and the railroads’ inability to respond adequately to demands for “just-in-time” shipping arrangements, has continued to hamper development of this potential profit area. As a consequence, despite intermodal rail growth, most American ground-based shipping in terms of dollar value/ton goes by truck. Low-margin commodity shipment (coal, wheat, chemicals) still goes largely by rail.

The facility is eventually expected to employ more than 2,000 people working in 3 million square feet of warehouse space, 1.5 million square feet of industrial space and 500,000 square feet of office space. The average wage of those employees is projected at $43,000. Those employees will work for the industrial park and in warehouses, industrial plants and in administration, reported the Ledger. -- National Corridors Initiative, Inc

Winter Haven city commissioners Monday night unanimously approved the $21.8 million sale of 1,250 acres at the city's wastewater treatment plant on Pollard Road to CSX Transportation Inc.

CSX has said it plans to build a railroad terminal and business center on the site. The plans include 3 million square feet of warehouses, 1.5 million square feet of industrial use and 500,000 square feet of offices.

Zoning, land use and transportation issues, including access from State Road 60, still have to be resolved. The process is expected to take up to two years, commissioners were told. -- The Lakeland Ledger

City commissioners gave the go-ahead to a major land sale to CSX Transportation Inc., but the commission's vote on Monday wasn't the first or last step in a process that will last years.

Talks with the company started months ago and everything is far from complete, city officials said.

The city bought 1,700 acres in 1975 to build Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 3, using grants from the Environmental Protection Agency. The 1,250 acres now up for sale to CSX have been used for "overland flow" treatment and spray fields, two systems designed to remove nutrients from water before discharge into the Peace Creek tributary.

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"Winter Haven offered a large tract of land, 1,250 acres, with two key features," said Gary Sease, director of corporate communications for CSX. "One, proximity to our tracks, and the other is potentially very good access to State Road 60 and Interstate 4. Those factors along with the fact the property was available all came together to make this the optimal site for CSX."

Sease said other sites were under consideration, but did not know exactly where they were. -- PolkOnline.com

b could bring as many as 8,500 jobs and more than $10 billion in economic impact to the area over 10 years.

"The new logistics center should help reduce long-haul transportation costs for shippers and provide improved freight mobility," said Denver Stutler Jr., Florida's Department of Transportation secretary, in a release.

The property is part of 1,700 acres purchased by the city in 1975 for $1.55 million and is the site of Wastewater Plant No. 3.

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The facility wouldn't change water needs, and CSX would be a potential customer for the reused water. Plus, sludge from the treatment could be made into fertilizer products, opening up potential markets.

The City of Winter Haven has set aside 100 acres of the property for a recreation facility north of the treatment plant. The recreation plans were already being discussed and would provide some spacing between the freight hub and the community. -- Tampa Bay Business Journal