CSX designates Indiana business park a 'Select Site'

CSX announced yesterday that part of the Lebanon Business Park in Indiana has been designated a CSX "Select Site," a development-ready property along the Class I's network.

In 2010, CSX partnered with the city of Lebanon on a $4 million project to construct a spur that brings rail service directly into the park.

Since then, business park officials have been looking to strengthen the park's position as the area's only master-planned park to offer rail service, said Mark Hosfield, vice president of leasing and development for Duke Realty in Indiana, in a press release.

Select Sites are development-ready properties along the CSX network where standard land use issues and due diligence items have been addressed. The properties are ready to meet manufacturers' requirements, which reduces the time it takes to build facilities and bring products to market.

Developed in Boone County in the late 1990s, the park is 25 miles northwest of downtown Indianapolis near Interstate 65. The 1,250-acre masterplan has grown to include 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.

"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," said Adam Hess, CSX's industrial development director.