CSX has designated a portion of Duke Realty's Lebanon Business Park in Lebanon, Ind., as a CSX Select Site.
Select Sites are properties along the CSX network that meet a list of criteria, including infrastructure and utility availability; environmental reviews; appropriate zoning and entitlement; rail serviceability; proximity to highways or interstates; and other attributes.
These development-ready properties reduce the time required to construct facilities and, once certified, the sites are featured on a web portal that includes press releases, promotional materials and direct marketing to site selection professionals.
Mark Hosfeld, vice president of leasing and development for Duke Realty in Indiana, said, “Since 2010 when we partnered with the City of Lebanon and constructed a spur to bring rail service directly into the park, we have been looking to strengthen our position as the only master-planned business park in the area to offer rail service.”
“Thanks to CSX’s proactive approach to addressing land use considerations and due diligence items, we’ll now be able to reduce the time and risk involved in delivering additional rail-served facilities in the park,” added Hosfeld.
Lebanon Business Park is located 25 miles northwest of downtown Indianapolis near Interstate 65 and includes nearly 8 million square feet of industrial, manufacturing and distribution space in 17 buildings. The CSX Select Site designation applies to 250 undeveloped acres in the southwest portion of the park, which could be directly served by rail.
“We are thrilled to add the Lebanon Business Park site to CSX’s Select Site program,” stated Adam Hess, industrial development director for CSX Transportation. “Direct rail service provides a real competitive advantage to many businesses, and the combination of site readiness and Boone County’s commitment to economic growth are key factors in attracting new jobs and investment to the area.”
The $4 million rail spur was the work of a public-private partnership between the City of Lebanon and Duke Realty.
“Lebanon Business Park’s designation as a CSX Select Site further enhances the steps Duke Realty and the City of Lebanon have taken over the years to make this a premier rail-served development site,” said Lebanon Mayor Matt Gentry.
“The CSX Site Select program allows Boone County to compete globally and meet the needs of potential clients in a way many business parks cannot,” said Molly Whitehead, executive director of the Boone County Economic Development Corporation. “This designation compliments the infrastructure already in place and helps us take advantage of even more opportunities.”
CSX introduced the Select Site program in 2012 to better serve new or existing customers on its network. The railroad partners with The Austin Company, a site selection consulting firm, to screen candidate sites and assist communities with the application and certification process.