Indiana port, partners gain REDI Sites stamp for rail-served megasite

The Ports of Indiana and Evansville Regional Economic Partnership yesterday announced the 544-acre Mount Vernon megasite at the Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon has earned a Silver designation through Readiness Evaluation for Development and Investment, or REDI, Sites program. 

The site was evaluated through the program according to utilities, ownership and entitlements, environmental factors, ease of development and logistics. 

The Evansville Regional Economic Partnership pursued the REDI Sites designation in partnership with Ports of Indiana, OmniTRAX Inc., CenterPoint Energy and other regional partners. The partners plan to use the designation as part of a proactive outreach effort targeting site selection consultants and corporate decision-makers, port officials said in a press release. 

The megamodal site offers size for various developments, infrastructure and rail/barge/highway access, they said. The port is served by the Mount Vernon Railroad, a short line developed through a partnership between the port and OmniTRAX that connects with the Evansville Western Railway, which interchanges with BNSF Railway, CN, CSX, Norfolk Southern Railway and Union Pacific Railroad. 

“Logistics and infrastructure are critical elements of the site selection process, and REDI Sites certification shows all prospects that Mount Vernon megasite is completely supply chain-ready,” said OmniTRAX Chief Commercial Officer Ryan Dreier. 

The megasite is positioned in a designated foreign trade zone, zoned for industrial use and designed to accommodate heavy manufacturing, energy, logistics and advanced supply-chain tenants, port officials said. 

“Few sites in the country can match what Mount Vernon offers — true barge, rail and highway access anchored in a foreign trade zone,” said Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock. “Earning this Silver designation through REDI Sites confirms what we’ve long known: this megamodal site is ready to compete for major projects." 

Meanwhile, the Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor recently earned the Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award for increasing international cargo shipments in 2025. 

The port boosted its international shipments through the Great Lakes Seaway by 5.8% to 362,100 metric tons, earning it a spot among nine U.S. Great Lakes ports that attained the honor this year.