Officials want rail access at Augusta Corporate Park (Savannah, Reynolds: 2015, moving)

[Airforceguy]

Economic developers are exploring ways to come up with $5 million to $8 million to bring rail service to the Augusta Corporate Park, one of Georgia’s largest industrial properties.

The mostly undeveloped, 1,800-acre tract off Mike Padgett Highway is roughly 7,000-feet from a Norfolk Southern rail line, which would provide prospective industry with freight access to Savannah’s port.

Five companies – one of which is a “very, very large investment” – are currently scouting the property for potential expansion, Augusta Economic Development Authority President Cal Wray told the agency’s board Thursday. The board unanimously approved Wray’s request for a $50,000 geotechnical survey that would map the best route and determine the least-costly method for crossing a wetland area.

“If we can do it with a culvert, it’s $200,000. If we have to do a trestle bridge, it’s $2.5 million,” Wray said. “So far, we’ve had two different opinions on what we can do, so until we do a geotechnical, we’re not making informed decisions.”

Officials want rail access at Augusta Corporate Park - Business - The Augusta Chronicle - Augusta, GA

[tckr83]

Or... option #3.





Paving over it for $500,000... he left that one out.

[keatkeat_]

Originally Posted by tckr83

Or... option #3.





Paving over it for $500,000... he left that one out.

Paving over what?... certainly not the wetland...

[tckr83]

It was a joke... this is the same cat that spent $500,000 to pave the Depot lot on Reynolds, it will eventually be torn up for the $100 million dollar upcoming announcement for that property.

[nortonguy]

Originally Posted by tckr83

It was a joke... this is the same cat that spent $500,000 to pave the Depot lot on Reynolds, it will eventually be torn up for the $100 million dollar upcoming announcement for that property.

Cal Wray just started Jan 22, 2018. The Unisys parking deal was created back in 2015.

[tckr83]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

Cal Wray just started Jan 22, 2018. The Unisys parking deal was created back in 2015.

I Know the timeline and Wray is a fresh hire pretty much, there was confusion between government departments about it and it became public knowledge. Just looked bad and it’s $500,000 wasted. Do we know if he went back to Unisys and said “hey look, this is what we got going on in the future at the Depot property and you’re still going to be a part of that. We got you your police sub station, we’re gonna take care of you on this too. Can we renegotiate the deal or delay it until the plans are announced?” It was already 3 years, what’s another year or so? Maybe even sweeten it for them one way or another. I’m sure Unisys is excited about the possibility of a 100 million dollar mixed-use project moving in just down the street, they might have been more agreeable about it than one would think. I hope that Wray at least picked up the phone and tried, if not, that’s a mistake.

He did some good things at Chattanooga, it’s a different dynamic in Augusta, but i’m Optimistic about him.