CSX designates commerce park as first 'Select Site' in Florida

CSX Corp. yesterday announced a portion of the Ocala/Marion County Commerce Park in Ocala, Fla., has been designated a CSX Select Site, or a property identified and vetted as a workable location for a future manufacturing facility along the Class I's network.

Introduced in 2012, the Select Site program identifies locations that can be developed quickly because standard land-use and comprehensive due diligence issues have been addressed. To receive the Select Site designation, a location must meet a rigorous list of criteria, including infrastructure and utility availability, environmental reviews, appropriate zoning and entitlement, rail serviceability, and proximity to highways or interstates.

"Through the Select Site program, we can significantly reduce the time it takes for companies to evaluate a competitive site, and ultimately construct their facility and bring products to market," said Clark Robertson, CSX's assistant vice president of regional development, in a press release.

The 489-acre Ocala/Marion County Commerce Park is a adjacent to Interstate 75. An 83-acre parcel on the park's eastern edge has been designated as the Select Site — the first to receive the designation in Florida — because a planned rail spur will connect the parcel to Florida Northern Railroad’s nearby mainline.
 
"The future for rail-oriented job creation in and around Ocala has never been better," said Tom Owen, vice president of marketing and sales for Florida Northern Railroad, a CSX short-line partner that will serve the park.

The Select Site program is part of a new industrial development website CSX launched earlier this year. For more information on the site, read this news article from Progressive Railroading's February issue.