Jacksonville becoming major player in global trade

[Lunican]

Jacksonville becoming major player in global trade
The Daily Record (FL)
By Max Marbut
October 25, 2007

With one exception, it was all great news and optimistic attitude at the 2nd Annual Global Trade & Transportation Symposium Wednesday morning at the Hyatt.

Freight traffic on land and sea and in the air is poised to grow exponentially in the next 10 years according to most of the local administrators and executives, but the representative from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) said the state is now and may remain behind the power curve in terms of meeting future infrastructure needs.

Rick Ferrin, executive director of the Jacksonville Port Authority, recently returned from a trade mission to South Korea where the Port inked a Memorandum of Understanding to add Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd. to the list of major port users. He said one of the first things he did was assemble the team that will supervise the construction of the new terminal.

"I told them, "Guys, we're pregnant." Now the hard part begins," said Ferrin, adding he expects the final agreement - including a 30-year lease - will be signed within 120 days.

Hanjin's facility will be located northeast of the Mitsui O.S.K. facility currently under construction, which Ferrin said is "on budget and on time."

When both terminals are completed and functional, the increase in port business will add 6,000 new jobs and $1 billion of local economic impact, Ferrin predicted.

"Jacksonville will be a center of transportation and logistics" and "one of the true shipping hubs in America," he said.

As for the long-term forecast, two things will take place in the next 10 years that will position Jacksonville as an even more important international maritime shipping destination.

Full Article:
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=48693

[Jason]

Adam Bridges, director of marketing & strategy for CSX Intermodal, said his company predicts that within 15 years, the population of north Florida and south Georgia will exceed the population of the New York City/New Jersey port region. To prepare for that day, in the last five years CSX has invested $250 million in the company’s rail lines in Florida. CSX also is doubling the size of its yard on the Westside from 250 to 500 acres.

How could that be?   

[raheem942]

Adam Bridges, director of marketing & strategy for CSX Intermodal, said his company predicts that within 15 years, the population of north Florida and south Georgia will exceed the population of the New York City/New Jersey port region. To prepare for that day, in the last five years CSX has invested $250 million in the company’s rail lines in Florida. CSX also is doubling the size of its yard on the Westside from 250 to 500 acres.

How could that be?   

i believe it there just so much developement all my school friends our people from out of state how moved her becuse of location and jobs...we have condos and shoping center poping up even when the national economy is low

[Lunican]

Adam Bridges, director of marketing & strategy for CSX Intermodal, said his company predicts that within 15 years, the population of north Florida and south Georgia will exceed the population of the New York City/New Jersey port region. To prepare for that day, in the last five years CSX has invested $250 million in the company’s rail lines in Florida. CSX also is doubling the size of its yard on the Westside from 250 to 500 acres.

How could that be?   

That might be a slight mis-quote. I think the numbers work when you take the entire southeast region as a whole.

[jbm32206]

Aside from Arizona, I'm sure we're still one of the fastest expanding areas where people are relocating to from the northeast...which in turn will increase both the population (housing) and business markets.

[Jason]

If I had to guess, I would say that Florida will be one of the first to recover from the housing slump because of the fact that so many people are flocking here.

[Jason]

Adam Bridges, director of marketing & strategy for CSX Intermodal, said his company predicts that within 15 years, the population of north Florida and south Georgia will exceed the population of the New York City/New Jersey port region. To prepare for that day, in the last five years CSX has invested $250 million in the company’s rail lines in Florida. CSX also is doubling the size of its yard on the Westside from 250 to 500 acres.

How could that be?  

That might be a slight mis-quote. I think the numbers work when you take the entire southeast region as a whole.

That makes a LOT more sence.  The NYC/Jersey area is over 15 million.


Do you know where/how CSX is expanding on the westside?  Is there ano9ther 500 acres available?

[reednavy]

I'd bet so. Its out there on the other side of I-10 from Baldwin on U.S.301, theres endless forest and grass field out there.

[Jason]

Thanks Reed.  I was thinking more in-town.

[thelakelander]

Is that the yard or is it the one off I-295 on the Westside?  The Baldwin yard is boxed in by Highway 301 and the steel mill.

[Jason]

Maybe both yards.  500 acres is a lot of property and it would have to line the rails.

[reednavy]

I swear this city has more railyards than it does skyscrapers over 300 feet! Afterall, we are a terminus and hub for many rail lines,

[downtownparks]

Yet we insist on using buses to move people around....