Nassau County’s Crawford Diamond Industrial Park, an 1,800-acre
industrial site with rare dual Class I rail access, received
megasite certification, becoming the state’s second certified site
and Nassau County’s first. The site was certified by McCallum
Sweeney Consulting, a site location firm that specializes in
certifying sites as development ready. Crawford Diamond is owned
and managed by TerraPointe, LLC, the real estate subsidiary of
Rayonier (NYSE: RYN). Florida Governor Rick Scott, Nassau County
officials, and TerraPointe representatives today celebrated the
certification at an on-site ceremony.
“Today is an important milestone for Nassau County and Florida.
In just over two years, we have already created over 330,000
private-sector jobs and our unemployment rate has dipped to 7.2
percent – well below the national average. Florida is ideally
positioned to be a global hub for business and this site will allow
any company to do business worldwide. Projects like this will help
us continue to create jobs and opportunities for Florida families,”
said Governor Rick Scott.
“Megasite certification provides certainty to prospective buyers
that all the preliminary work is done and that the site is ready
for acquisition and development,” said Paul Boynton, chairman,
president and chief executive officer of Rayonier. “Prospective
companies can expand or relocate to Crawford with the security of
knowing that zoning and permits are secured, environmental and
geotechnical testing is done, and engineering work for drainage,
utilities and transportation infrastructure is complete.”
Crawford Diamond is the only site in Florida where two Class I
railroads intersect and one of the few undeveloped dual-rail served
sites remaining in the South, making it a truly rare, valuable site
and an ideal location for a large-scale manufacturer or
distributor. In addition to on-site frontage to both CSX and
Norfolk Southern, Crawford Diamond is close to five deep-water
ports, four marine terminals, and two interstates. It is located 10
miles from the Jacksonville International Airport, with a
700,000-strong workforce within a 50-mile radius. Due to its
proximity to Interstate 95, distributors based at the site can
easily service the entire U.S. Southeast.
"Crawford Diamond represents a stronger and more prosperous
future for Nassau County. Our county's Vision 2032 Task Force, the
Nassau County Economic Development Board, our Planning & Zoning
Board, and my fellow County Commissioners are working tirelessly to
listen to our citizens and execute our vision to create high-wage
jobs in Nassau County for current and future generations,” said
Daniel Leeper, chairman, Nassau County, Board of County
Commissioners. We greatly appreciate the thoughtful and transparent
land use planning that Rayonier and TerraPointe brought to this
project.”
Crawford Diamond is already approved for up to 10.5 million
square feet of industrial land use, which can include
manufacturing, assembly, warehousing and distribution, as well as
an intermodal inland port or logistics center. The site, which was
recently recognized by Southern Business & Development magazine
as one of the nation’s “Ten Rail-Served Sites that Deserve a Second
Look,” has access to natural gas and is approved for on-site power
generation.
“With the vast majority of rail-served facilities captive to
just one railroad, companies put a major premium on being able to
choose between two competing Class I rail companies,” said Boynton.
“Shippers at Crawford Diamond will have 3,250 feet of frontage on
CSX and 6,700 feet of frontage on Norfolk Southern to make their
shipping costs more competitive and provide access to more rail
origins and destinations.”
TerraPointe, in partnership with the Nassau County Economic
Development Board, shepherded the zoning and entitlement process to
ready Crawford Diamond for development. The process of pursuing and
obtaining entitlements — thus removing the technical and regulatory
hurdles for buyers — is the foundation of TerraPointe’s land value
creation strategy.
“This is a big step forward in our five-year strategic plan,
Nassau Tomorrow. Megasite certification validates Crawford
Diamond’s status as one of the top industrial sites in the
country,” said Steve Rieck, Executive Director of the Nassau County
Economic Development Board. “Certification is the stamp of approval
that many major companies now require before they’ll even consider
a site for expansion or relocation, as it signifies the site is
served with adequate infrastructure, properly zoned, and relatively
risk free. With certification complete, Crawford Diamond is sure to
quickly attract large employers to our region, helping us meet
Nassau Tomorrow’s goal of 3,800 new jobs.”
In addition to certification, Crawford Diamond features an even
faster development timeframe than many similar sites due to local
expedited permitting procedures. Nassau County boasts a 30-day
permitting process with no concurrency, enabling companies to begin
development as soon as possible.
About TerraPointe:
TerraPointe LLC, Rayonier Inc.’s real estate subsidiary,
executes Rayonier’s real estate value creation strategy by
acquiring and entitling properties for residential, commercial and
industrial uses, master planning and permitting for future
communities, and marketing of higher-and-better-use properties. For
more information, visit www.terrapointeserviceslandsales.com.
About Rayonier:
Rayonier is a leading international forest products company with
three core businesses: Forest Resources, Real Estate and
Performance Fibers. The company owns, leases or manages 2.7 million
acres of timber and land in the United States and New Zealand. The
company's holdings include approximately 200,000 acres with
residential and commercial development potential along the
Interstate 95 corridor between Savannah, Ga., and Daytona Beach,
Fla. Its Performance Fibers business is one of the world's leading
producers of high-value specialty cellulose fibers, which are used
in products such as filters, pharmaceuticals and LCD screens.
Approximately 50 percent of the company's sales are outside the
U.S. to customers in approximately 40 countries. Rayonier is
structured as a real estate investment trust. More information is
available at www.rayonier.com.
About Nassau County Economic Development Board:
The Nassau County Economic Development Board is a non-profit
organization formed in 1995 as a public-private partnership to
provide leadership and develop policies and programs that will
foster a diversified and financially strong business community,
which will enhance the quality of life in Nassau County. The NCEDB
is committed to help broaden and diversify the local tax base and
to assist with the creation of high-quality, diversified jobs
within all areas of Nassau County. For more information, visit
www.expandinnassau.com.
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