New Logistics Hub Under Development in Florida

Jones Lang LaSalle, a professional services firm specializing in real estate, has announced that it will be the exclusive project advisor to Treasure Coast Intermodal Campus (TCIC) on its more than 4,000 acre site in southwest St. Lucie County in Florida. The Treasure Coast Intermodal Campus will be developed into a logistics hub over the next 30 to 35 years, with pre-development efforts currently underway.

“TCIC will create an entirely new industrial model for Florida, ultimately providing a connection to direct on-dock rail service at Florida’s key seaports, along with easy access to all major highways,” says John Carver, who heads Jones Lang LaSalle’s Ports Airports and Global Infrastructure practice. “TCIC is being designed to help Florida compete more effectively for market share as a leading port destination in the Atlantic region.”

The project will have the scale and vision to create a full service logistics environment and to accommodate a variety of manufacturing uses, Carver adds. This type of development, which is sometimes referred to as an ‘inland port’, shows a growing trend toward integrating U.S. container seaports with a dedicated distribution cluster where dual rail and roadway access can support a wide range of activities relating to transport, logistics and the distribution of goods within a region of significant consumer demand.

The TCIC inland port is located on Rangeline Road at the Martin County line, and is bounded by agricultural land and Glades Cutoff Road to the west. More importantly, it is served by the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railroad, which is accessed at the northern border of the development.

“This large scale project is being engineered specifically in preparation for the Panama Canal expansion, which also coincides with the emergence of South America as one of the largest exporters in the world,” says Steve Medwin, managing director of Jones Lang LaSalle in Miami. “The Third Set of Locks project in Panama, set for completion in 2014, will cause a substantial increase in seaborne cargo passing through Florida waters. This will give the Port of Miami, Port Everglades and the Port of Palm Beach the opportunity to capture increased cargo that can then be transported directly to the new TCIC inland site for later distribution throughout Florida and into the southeast U.S.”

The TCIC plan has passed preliminary market, regulatory, and construction feasibility tests and over the estimated 30 to 35 year development period, the project is expected to create a significant positive fiscal impact for local government and the region's economy, including thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

Plans include vast areas of open space, setbacks and buffers along the campus’ boundaries, and significant portions of land and water set aside for sustainably designed land conservation. The campus buildings will incorporate green building and design techniques such as LEED standard, and the millions of square feet of rooftops will provide an opportunity for alternative energy sources such as solar power.

Source: http://mhlnews.com/