The greatest historical event in transportation on the continent occurred at Promontory, Utah, on May 10, 1869, as the Union Pacific tracks joined those of the Central Pacific Railroad.
On Wednesday, December 30, 2009 Levelland participated in another historic event involving transportation of goods via rail.
Along with mayors from Brownfield, Seagraves and Lubbock the mayor of Levelland helped drive golden spikes into to the Permian Basin Railways' West Texas & Lubbock line to mark the start of a $9.4 million dollar renovation project.
The project will upgrade some 70 miles of track by replacing deteriorated ties and rails and installing new concrete panels at 20 grade crossings from Levelland to Lubbock and down to Seagraves.
Permian Basin Railways General Manager, Bruce Carswell, gave attendees a brief overview of the project as coffee and refreshments were served aboard a passenger car that shuttled the group along the tracks to the ceremony site.
This investment in the rail upgrade allows Levelland to further leverage our investment in the Levelland Industrial Rail Park. As the line is upgraded into town customers located in the rail park will be better served by Permian Basin and rail time to the BNSF interchange will be lowered. This will provide more efficient shipping of products into and out of the region.
One year and 9 days after the Levelland Economic Development Corporation voted unanimously to commit $1.5 million to create the Levelland Industrial Rail Park (LIRP) the project was put out for bid. Appearing in Sunday's paper on August 9, 2009 the rail portion of the LIRP project has seen over 20 sets of plans picked up in three days.
"We were hoping there would be some interest in what we are doing and, apparently, because we have the funding in place contractors are very anxious to bid on our Rail Park," said Levelland EDC's board chairman Elgin Conner. "With all the interest, we expect the pricing to be very competitive which is great for Levelland."
Bid opening is set for September 1, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. in the Levelland City Council Chambers with a pre-bid meeting scheduled for August 19, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. at Levelland City Hall located at 1709 Ave. H. Bid packets can be obtained by contacting Parkhill, Smith & Cooper at 806.473.2200 and visiting with project engineers John Hamilton or Richard Multer.
While, there have been a number of challenges to getting this project to this point, the project is moving forward and dirt should be moving sometime in October. The utility phase of the project will go out for bid sometime soon.
The park opens up 200+ acres of industrial land that will be fully served by rail and city utilities. Permian Basin Railways will connect the Levelland Industrial Rail Park with the BNSF mainline in Lubbock, TX 30 miles to the east of the park. For more information on available lots and rail access contact Dave Quinn, Executive Director of Levelland Economic Development Corporation at 806.894.0113 or visit www.GoLevelland.com/rail
WASHINGTON:The City of Levelland has received a grant of $3,300,000 from the Economic Development Administration (EDA), U.S. Sen. John Cornyn announced Wednesday. The funds will be used to construct expanded rail service, as well as water, wastewater and road infrastructure at the Levelland Industrial Rail Park, which will benefit current tenants and attract new industries to the Park.
"This is good news for the City of Levelland," Sen. Cornyn said. "This proposal will create new jobs and business opportunities which will strengthen the region's economy. I applaud the local leaders who worked to secure this funding."
The grant was administered by the EDA, a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The agency was established to work with states and localities to generate new jobs, retain existing jobs, and stimulate industrial and commercial growth in economically distressed areas and regions of the United States.
Sen. Cornyn serves on the Finance, Judiciary and Budget Committees. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee's Immigration, Refugees and Border Security subcommittee. He served previously as Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and Bexar County District Judge.
The following press relase, which shows the importanct of moving forward with the Levelland Industrial Rail Project was provided to the Levelland EDC by the Texas Relocation and Improvements Assoication.
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Texas House OKs $91M for rail
Budget measure now heads to full Senate |
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AUSTIN, Texas--Efforts to secure state funding for freight and passenger rail projects throughout Texas gathered considerable steam over the weekend.
On April 18, the Texas House passed a measure that would allocate $91 million per fiscal year for the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund. The bipartisan measure was offered by Rep. Ruth McClendon, D-San Antonio, and Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, as an amendment to the state budget bill. The House passed the budget bill 149-0.
The McClendon-Geren amendment, attached to Senate Bill 1, now goes back to the full Senate for approval.
"Representative McClendon and Representative Geren are to be commended for their leadership on this vital transportation issue," Bruce Todd, executive director of the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Association, said.
As the budget proposal containing the McClendon-Geren amendment heads to the Senate, the Senate is set to consider this week a bill that mirrors the amendment. Senate Bill 1923, sponsored by Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, would provide $91 million per fiscal year for the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund.
"The Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Association urges the 31 members of the state Senate to heed the will of the House and the voters of our state by allocating $91 million in much-needed state funding for improving the rail infrastructure in Texas," Todd said.
The rail funding would be generated through existing transportation-related fees. The legislation would allot $91 million per fiscal year in undedicated money from the state highway fund and put it into the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund. The Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund was created by voters through passage of a constitutional amendment in 2005, but never has been financed by the Legislature.
"The rail money in the McClendon-Geren amendment and in Senator Watson's bill is not a funding diversion. This legislation takes dollars from transportation-related sources and directs them toward critically important transportation needs," Todd said.
A mechanism in the McClendon-Geren amendment and Sen. Watson's bill would ensure that funding for roads would not decrease from one biennium to the next. The constitutional amendment requires railroads to cover the costs of improvements that would benefit them.
"Texas faces many challenges to its increasingly overburdened transportation system," Todd said. "Freight and passenger rail must be a key component of the solutions to those challenges." |
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About the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Association
The Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Association is a statewide coalition of municipal, county and state elected officials, as well as groups and concerned Texans, who are interested in improving transportation throughout the state. Rail Relo NOW! is an initiative of the association aimed at obtaining state funding for relocation and improvement of freight rail lines around Texas.
For more information, visit www.railrelo.org. |
The following story submitted by the Levelland & Hockley County News Press 806.894.3121
Hockley County Commissioners approved a resolution of support for the proposed Tax Increment Financing Reinvestment Zone proposed for the future Levelland Industrial Rail Park.
Levelland City Manager Rick Osburn met with the commissioners to thank them for their endorsement of the TIF zone and to ask them to put their support into a resolution, which they approved unanimously. He told commissioners that the South Plains College Board of Regents will consider the TIF proposal at their April meeting and that the college's involvement will be essential to make the whole program work.
"Basically, there is no risk with the taxing entities benefiting from personal property and inventory taxes if Project Gorilla goes forward," Osburn said. "Not doing it is the biggest loss." This TIF is to encourage industrial development.
The city and the Levelland Economic Development Corporation have been working on a project which will require the construction of a 550,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility, which would add about $28 million in new real property value and $60 million in personal property consisting of manufacturing equipment and inventory.
By law, new taxes generated by real property development go into the TIF program to pay for the infrastructure while new taxes from new personal property would go directly to the taxing entities.
Osburn agreed that the Levelland TIF Zone #1 the city and county participate in has done exactly what it was supposed to do: stimulate housing construction. The goal was seven new houses; it has already resulted in 19 new houses being permitted. Osburn also asked that commissioners appoint a representative to serve on the new TIF board. Commissioner J.L. "Whitey" Barnett agreed to serve in that capacity.
Commissioners also authorized the filing of paperwork for the upcoming multi-purpose event center bond election, approved refunds of overpayments of property taxes, denied the resale of property in Sundown, approved a resolution which will allow the county to be reimbursed for expenses associated with the multi-purpose event center if the bond issue passes, and okayed an interlocal agreement between the city and the count in regard to a Justice Assistance Grant Program application and possible grant.
The City of Levelland has applied for federal grant dollars through the Economic Development Administration for Levelland Economic Development's new Industrial Rail Park. With support from Senator John Cornyn, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, and Representative Randy Neaugebauer the City of Levelland has a very good opportunity for federal funding.
Considered "Shovel Ready" the Levelland Industrial Rail Park fits the outlined requirements for the $787 billion federal stimulus package. The Levelland EDC has been working on this project for more than 6 months and have designs ready to go as soon as additional funding is secured.
Commitments from the Levelland EDC for $1.5 million, the City of Levelland and Hockley County for $250,000 a piece and a new TIF district that is being created for the project will help round out the financial support for the rail park.
The $11.9 million dollar investment will lead to $75 million in private capital investment and create close to 500 jobs in the community just 30 minutes west of Lubbock Texas. The rail park will connect manufactures to global markets via the Permian Basin Railways and BNSF.
Continuing a tradition that stretches back several Legislative Sessions, the Texas Renewable Energies Industry Association (TREIA) has declared March 2-5 as Texas Energy Independence Week, this year playing off Texas Independence Day of March 2.
TREIA will host a number of events at the state capital to promote renewable energies and energy independence. This year's events include Education Exhibits, Legislative Reception for TREIA members, Texas Renewable Energy Projects Showcase, a noon TREIA Policy Luncheon, and an afternoon Texas Economic Development Briefing.
Dave Quinn, Executive Director of the Levelland Economic Development Corporation has been invited to speak during the Texas Economic Development Briefing at the Texas State Capital on Thursday afternoon. The briefing will be held in Capitol Auditorium (E1.004) from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Dave will be speaking on the Levelland/Hockley County Ethanol plant project, the new Levelland Industrial Rail Park project, and Levelland's focus to build synergy in the biomass energy sector.
Check out this SlideShare Presentation on LinkedIn : Treia Presentaton 2009 http://tinyurl.com/adgbnp
If you would like to download a copy simply send a direct message to Levelland EDC on Twitter.com/LevellandEDC
In a meeting on Monday night, the Levelland City Council voted unanimously to begin the process of creating Levelland's second Tax Increment Financing District or TIF District.
Unlike the first Tax Increment Financing project created to build housing, this TIF will be utilized to build infrastructure needed for the new Levelland Rail Park, an industrial rail park being spearheaded by the Levelland Economic Development Corporation.
The rail park with an estimated cost of $8 million for rail, road, water and sewer improvements is expected to be a business magnet as more and more companies are looking for access to rail shipping to offset higher transportation cost.
The TIF will encompass roughly 320 acres west of the current Levelland Industrial park as well as an area south of Levelland that could be used for the Hockley County Multi-Purpose Event Center. The improvements could begin as early as May of 2009 if the other taxing entities vote to support the district. For more information on Levelland's initial TIF District visit the city's website LevellandTexas.org/tif
The Levelland Economic Development Board will meet Friday at noon to discuss yet another project slated for the New Industrial Rail Park being put together by the Levelland Economic Development Corporation.
This latest project, a biomass energy project, is just one of many that have approached Levelland since the Levelland EDC made the decision to create a rail served industrial park that can capitalize on the upgraded freight rail from Lubbock to Levelland. Permian Basin Railways upgraded the freight railroad to serve the new Levelland/Hockley County Ethanol Plant in 2006 opening up rail shipping to the plant.
Since the upgrade in freight rail the Levelland EDC has been inundated with prospects needing access to newly improved freight rail infrastructure. Pierce Adams, a sales rep with the Permian Basin Railways told the board, "If you guys build it and they will come." His prognostication has been right on track.
Couple freight rail access with Levelland EDC's ability to provide corporate incentives to deserving companies and you have the makings of an economic boom for the West Texas town just 30 miles west of Lubbock, Texas. Recent examples of Levelland's success in corporate incentives are Allied Oilfield Machine and Pump, Stephenson Industries, Tex-Rail Commodities, and EcoBlue Inc. Each company has received an incentive package in some form from the Levelland EDC.
For more information on submitting applications for corporate incentives to the Levelland EDC visit GoLevelland.com or click Levelland Corporate Incentive.