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South Alabama Property Receives CSX Select Site Designation

[ August 8, 2017   //   ]

CSX announced that the South Alabama Mega Site in Bay Minette, Ala., has been designated a CSX Select Site.

Select Sites are development-ready properties along the CSX network where standard land use considerations and comprehensive due-diligence items have been previously addressed. These properties are pre-positioned to meet manufacturers’ needs, significantly reducing the time required to construct facilities and ultimately bring products to market.

“This site is strategically located between Mobile and Pensacola on CSX’s main line, connecting the site to major consumer markets from the Gulf to the Midwest, and even international markets through the Port of Mobile,” said Clark Robertson, Vice President of Business Development and E Business for CSX. “Earning Select Site status means this site will be pivotal in the region’s growth, as companies seize the opportunity to swiftly set up operations and leverage the efficiency of freight rail.”

Located at the corner of Highway 287 and I-65, the 3,009-acre South Alabama Mega Site is well positioned in the fastest growing county in the state – Baldwin County. Home to many expanding industrial employers and touting a regional workforce of more than 500,000, Baldwin County is on track to become the 4th largest employment center in the state by 2040.

“Baldwin County is pleased that CSX has designated the South Alabama Mega Site as a CSX Select Site,” said Lee Lawson, President, Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance. “This designation solidifies the South Alabama Mega Site as a premiere site in the United States for advanced manufacturing.”

The publicly-owned property is certified by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama’s Advantage Site program and is the third site in the state to be designated a CSX Select Site. CSX introduced the Select Site program in 2012 to better serve new and existing customers on its network. CSX partners with Austin Consulting, a nationally-known site selection consulting firm, to screen candidate sites and assist communities with the application and certification process.

“For the last several years, Baldwin County has continued to improve the Mega Site’s competitive position for attracting a large rail-served manufacturing operation,” said Jonathan Gemmen, Director of Austin Consulting.

To receive CSX Select Site designation, the location must meet a rigorous list of criteria, including infrastructure and utility availability, environmental reviews, appropriate zoning and entitlement, rail serviceability, proximity to highways or interstates, and other attributes. Once certified, the sites are featured on www.csxselectsites.com, a web portal that includes additional information, promotional materials and direct marketing to site selection professionals.

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