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

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

Final sale of 1,250 acres of the city's wastewater treatment property to CSX Transportation Inc. may be two years down the line, but city staff is already working on various steps in the process necessary to bring the distribution center here.

The first step is to rezone and change land use restrictions on the first 300 acres that is slated to be used for the integrated logistics center proposed by the railroad, said Pete Chichetto, the city's director of Development Services.

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In all, the proposed integrated logistics center planned by CSX Transportation Inc. is expected to create 2,000 jobs on site. While CSX has other facilities of this kind in the United States, the proposed Winter Haven site is the first in the Southeast, said Rick Hood, assistant vice president of CSX Real Property.

"Winter Haven was chosen because it is centrally located in Florida near a number of consumer markets," Hood said. "There's potentially 1,250 acres available under a single ownership. The entire 1,250 acres is also along our main rail line." -- The Lakeland Ledger

Goals staffers want to prioritize include:

• Ensure the state Department of Community Affairs signs off on the CSX Integrated Logistics Center by January 2008. CSX wants to build the truck-totrain and train-to-truck terminal that would likely include distribution and manufacturing operations as well. It is expected to employee about 2,000 people -- The Lakeland Ledger

A plan to improve freight service and bring a commuter rail to Central Florida announced this week will have an impact on Winter Haven, if all the pieces come together.

The plan, announced by Gov. Jeb Bush on Wednesday, includes a $32 million investment by the state and CSX Transportation Inc. in Winter Haven to help pave the way for the planned CSX Integrated Logistics Center.

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In January, when plans for the ILC were announced, city officials said they would assist CSX officials in acquiring access to State Road 60 from the south side of the property.

That will require purchasing property or obtaining easements from private property owners, said City Attorney John Murphy.

"We're still in the process of getting what we need to do that," Murphy said Thursday. "Ulti-mately we need access. We're evaluating all options." -- The Lakeland Ledger

Like more than 7,000 people who live near the proposed 61-mile rail route that would eventually run from Deland south to downtown Orlando, and then on to Kissimmee and Poinciana, the Meyers received a letter from FDOT telling them of the possibility their homes could be "taken" by eminent domain to make way for the rail.

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Rick Sparer, also representing Earth Tech, explained that the reason so few property owners are going to be impacted is that the proposed line will run on tracks that are already in place.

"We're not buying any more right of way," he said. "The train will run on CSX tracks that are already there."

Burwell said the only private property that needs to be purchased will be for stations along the route and parking areas near the stations. -- The Lakeland Ledger

Gomez and six other angry residents from rural Sundance Ranch Estates voiced their opposition Wednesday at a Polk County Commission meeting to a proposed $100 million rail and truck transfer center. CSX railroad plans to begin building the center early next year on 1,250 acres in South Winter Haven.

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CSX is expected to close on a deal with Winter Haven to buy 320 acres for $7 million by the end of the year. By 2010, CSX plans to have purchased an additional 930 acres from the city for about $16 million. The company plans to offer 3 million square feet of warehouse space, 1.5 million square feet of industrial sites and 500,000-square feet of office space. In all, when construction is completed by about 2020, the space available should be equivalent to about 25 Wal-Mart supercenters. -- The Lakeland Ledger

Rochelle, a suburban city west of Chicago, hit tough times in the late 1980s.

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One those rail companies, Union Pacific, floated the idea for a 1,200-acre Integrated Logistics Center, or ILC. An ILC is a rail yard hub combined with warehouses for companies to store goods. Shipping containers can either be put onto trains or into warehouses for future delivery.

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The facility paid quick dividends, even though it is still not fully built, said Jason Anderson, an employee in Rochelle's economic development department. Companies such as Rayovac, Del Monte and ConAgra Foods moved into the area because of the ILC. In all, 2,000 new jobs have been created. -- The Lakeland Ledger

Pam Childers says she is all for growth and development, just not in her backyard.

Childers and about a dozen other residents in Sundance Ranch Estates are still wrangling with CSX officials about the railroad company's plans to put a berm on the edge of their property to separate their homes from a proposed CSX rail center. The dirt berm would be 15 feet high, 45 feet wide and about a half-mile long. -- The Lakeland Ledger

CSX Transportation Inc. plans to build, beginning in January, a $100 million rail transfer center on 1,250 acres in south Winter Haven north of Old Bartow-Lake Wales Road.

When completed in 2020, CSX's Integrated Logistics Center, or ILC, will employ at least 5,000 people and generate millions of dollars in economic activity each year. -- The Lakeland Ledger

Birdsong said he was particularly proud in 2006 of working with commissioners to complete the city's land deal with CSX Transportation Inc. Beginning in January, CSX plans to start building a $100 million rail transfer center on 1,250 acres in south Winter Haven, north of Old Bartow-Lake Wales Road.

When completed in 2020, CSX's Integrated Logistics Center, or ILC, will employ at least 5,000 people and generate millions of dollars in economic activity each year. - The Lakeland Ledger

Lake Wales officials lost a round Thursday in their attempt to prevent Winter Haven from annexing property that is inside the water and sewer service area for Lake Wales. Circuit Judge Roger Alcott on Monday had issued a temporary injunction stopping the annexation of 293 acres by Winter Haven. He dissolved the injunction after a hearing Thursday morning. -- The Lakeland Ledger

In 2002, CSX Transportation approached the city of Lakeland about putting a rail center off Kathleen Road. The city rejected the idea the following year, concerned that truck, trains, noise, vibration and physical appearance could negatively impact surrounding areas. - The Lakeland Ledger

In 2002, CSX Transportation approached the city of Lakeland about putting a rail center off Kathleen Road. The city rejected the idea the following year, concerned that trucks, trains, noise, vibration and its physical appearance could harm surrounding areas. - The Lakeland Ledger

County officials plans to hire a consultant to look at the impacts of the development of the planned 1,250-acre CSX transportation depot in a now-rural area of Winter Haven. - The Lakeland Ledger

The planned 1,250-acre CSX transportation depot promises to bring dramatic changes to a now-rural area south of Winter Haven and east of Bartow, and county officials are scrambling to learn just how big that impact will be. -- The Lakeland Ledger

Federal railroad officials said Wednesday they found 79 problems with CSX Corp. tracks across New York during an investigation prompted by a recent series of derailments involving the company's freight trains. -- Associated Press

Gary Sease, spokesman for CSX, and Richard Hood, a CSX assistant vice president, met with a group of about 14 people that included representatives from the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce, city of Lakeland, Lakeland Downtown Development Authority and the Lakeland Economic Development Council -- The Lakeland Ledger

Pete Chichetto, the city's strategic initiatives director, said the contract with CSX should be completed by January and the railroad company plans to start building a $100 million rail transfer center on 1,250 acres in south Winter Haven, north of Old Bartow-Lake Wales Road.

When completed in 2020, CSX's Integrated Logistics Center, or ILC, will employ at least 5,000 people and generate millions of dollars in economic activity each year. -- The Lakeland Ledger

See clarification

Winter Haven drew up an agreement with CSX. Was a thought given to the consequence this increased train/truck traffic is going to cause throughout the region? -- Letter to the Ledger

A story on page F1 on Thursday may have given the impression that the CSX Integrated Logistics Center in Winter Haven would directly employ 5,000 people. The center is expected to employ up to 2,000 people directly when completed in 2010 and create about 5,000 jobs outside the CSX facility. -- The Lakeland Ledger

The city has turned to the water bills it sends out to plug the proposed CSX facility.

Most of the city's estimated 30,000 water customers have already received a glossy 8 1/2-by-11-inch question-and-answer newsletter about the proposed 1,250-acre rail transfer center in south Winter Haven. -- The Lakeland Ledger

The city of Winter Haven has turned to the water bills it sends out to plug the proposed CSX facility.

Most of the city's estimated 30,000 water customers have already received a glossy 8 1/2-by-11-inch question-and-answer newsletter about the proposed 1,250-acre rail transfer center in south Winter Haven. -- The Lakeland Ledger

A stalled CSX freight train blocked downtown streets and sidewalks for about 90 minutes Monday afternoon. -- The Lakeland Ledger

CSX railroad officials said Tuesday that a series of "unusual circumstances" caused a freight train to stall in downtown Lakeland on Monday afternoon and block traffic. -- The Lakeland Ledger

Polk County commissioners voted 3-2 Wednesday to send a letter to the state Department of Community Affairs to press the issue of whether the proposed CSX freight terminal should be reviewed as a development of regional impact. -- The Lakeland Ledger

A trip Monday to a CSX freight terminal in Fairburn, Ga., has given four Polk County commissioners a better idea what to expect if a similar facility is built in Winter Haven. -- The Lakeland Ledger

County commissioners voted 3-2 on Wednesday to try again to persuade state planners to require CSX to go through a development of regional impact review for its proposed freight terminal in Winter Haven. -- The Lakeland Ledger

No other Polk cities have formally taken action, although Lakeland officials are concerned about more train traffic.

Jim Studiale, Lakeland's director of community development, said last week that he had spoken informally with DCA officials about the project. He said it was hard to understand why DCA wasn't requiring the project to undergo DRI review.

He said Lakeland officials have spoken with CSX officials about quiet zones and about rerouting train traffic from the freight facility so it wouldn't go through downtown Lakeland. CSX currently runs eight to 12 trains through downtown Lakeland each day.

CSX has said the new rail center in Winter Haven and a shift in train traffic is expected to increase the number of trains to 13 to 17 per day. - The Lakeland Ledger

DCA spokesman Jon Peck said Wednesday that CSX has three choices:

Back out of the project

Ask DCA to reconsider the DRI status.

File an application for development approval with the understanding that the study will begin with a DRI review.

CSX and Winter Haven officials had hoped the project would not be a DRI. However, the Polk County Commissioners asked DCA to make it a DRI to determine what impact the rail center would have.

DCA officials told CSX in a letter that an additional 20 acres for road access to the rail center pushed the development over the DRI threshold of 320 acres.

CSX officials were uncertain what the next step will be, but a spokesman said he still thinks the proposal does not meet the requirements for a DRI review.

"There seems to be some disagreements about acreage and whether it is under or over the DRI threshold," said Gary Sease, a spokesman for CSX. "We still believe it is under."

The first phase of the rail center would be 318 acres, plus 20 more acres for the road.

A DRI review would also delay a proposed commuter rail system planned to begin operating in 2009 in the Orlando area that would use 61 miles of CSX tracks the state plans to buy. -- The Lakeland Ledger

State planning officials have told CSX it can begin building a rail transfer center before planning reviews of the massive project are completed.

In a letter sent to CSX this week, the state Department of Community Affairs said it would consider an agreement with the company that would allow CSX to begin construction on the Winter Haven project while a comprehensive planning review known as a development of regional impact is under way. -- The Lakeland Ledger

Ten families in Sundance Ranch Estates next to the proposed CSX rail transfer facility are suing the railroad and the city of Winter Haven to keep CSX from developing the site.

The lawsuit filed in Circuit Court on Friday by Lakeland lawyer Brent Geohagan contends the construction of the facility would cause residents "irreparable injury." -- The Lakeland Ledger

Lakeland business and city officials who are dealing with the likelihood of increased train traffic in downtown held a public workshop Tuesday and left with one nagging question:

Who, if anyone, will pay for improvements needed to cut the noise from increased train traffic and make sure traffic flow isn't stalled? -- The Lakeland Ledger

The state's plan to establish a commuter rail line from downtown Orlando to Poinciana is expected to be embraced by local residents who welcome the option of taking a train to a job outside of this sprawling community.

What may not be so popular, it seems, is the location of the train stop.

"Our last stop will actually be at the Poinciana Industrial Park," said Sandra M. Gutierrez, rail transportation project manager for the Florida Department of Transportation's Orlando Urban office. -- The Lakeland Ledger

Quieting the train traffic passing through the heart of downtown Lakeland could cost the city as much as $2.4 million, a federal railroad official said Thursday to a gathering of civic and business leaders at The Lakeland Center.

Or it could cost the city considerably less, but that may require closing one or more streets with existing railroad crossings, said Tom Drake, grade crossing manager for District 3 of the Federal Railroad Administration, which includes Florida.

"If I can save you some money I will," he said. "I want you to spend (only) what you have to." -- The Lakeland Ledger

If the deal for a CSX rail yard fails in Winter Haven, the Jacksonville-based railroad company has a backup location close to two major highways.

In 2005, the company purchased 690 acres for $9.2 million south of Wildwood near Interstate 75 and the Florida’s Turnpike in Sumter County, about 65 miles north of Winter Haven.

While it looks like a good site for a rail transfer center because of its easy highway access to Orlando and Tampa, CSX spokesman Gary Sease said Wednesday the company has no plans to build in Sumter County.

“It does not meet our needs,” Sease said. “We need a location more central for any future development.” -- Lakeland Ledger

The gloves have come off.

Frustrated that polite meetings between CSX and civic leaders have not spared Lakeland from the prospect of increased train traffic, downtown merchants are taking a more militant stance against the railroad company.

Get ready for "Fight the Freight" or "Don't Railroad Us" buttons. Both slogans were suggested during Wednesday's Downtown Lakeland Partnership meeting as a way of derailing CSX's intentions.

Residents from Sundance Ranch Estates, who are fighting to keep CSX out of their backyards, shared their fears that a proposed rail transfer center on 1,000 acres in Winter Haven would destroy their way of life and put more truck traffic on main arteries like State Road 60 and U.S. 98. -- The Lakeland Ledger