FD rail plans eyed at ag park
Concept ‘rough’By BILL SHEA, Messenger staff writer
A railroad yard and a facility for repairing rail cars may someday be built near the North Central Agricultural Industrial Park in Webster County.
''This is a rough, rough, rough concept,'' Webster County Supervisor Keith Dencklau said Thursday.
But he added that if a business that needed more railroad service announced intentions to move into the park, final design work could get started right away.
The North Central Agricultural Industrial Park is between Barnum and Fort Dodge. It is home to the Valero ethanol plant and the idle Tate & Lyle starch and ethanol plant.
The railroad proposal was discussed briefly during a meeting Thursday that included the Webster County supervisors, the Fort Dodge City Council, mayors of cities throughout Webster County and representatives of the Development Corporation of Fort Dodge and Webster County.
Much of the late afternoon session was dedicated to recounting efforts to retain local industries and attract new ones.
The development corporation is pursuing 71 new business prospects, according to Fort Dodge Councilwoman Cindy Litwiller. She is the corporation's marketing director.
Fort Dodge Mayor Terry Lutz reported that the staff of the city's Business Affairs and Community Growth Department has made 84 visits to local business leaders since Jan. 1.
Contact Bill Shea at (515) 573-2141 or bshea@messengernews.net
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Anderson
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06-20-09 12:09 PM
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Why, thenddrickson? That rail yard north of Callender was a private project paid for with private money. And UP pays taxes on every mile of that track. The railroads have got the short end of the stick ever since automobiles and trucks appeare on the scene - and at the public trough. In terms of subsidies, federal or state, freight railroads are at the very end of the line.
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thendrickson
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06-19-09 9:42 PM
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Only trouble is, you'd have to go to the tax payers of Iowa or the country for most of the money and you've already said such things were bad Anderson.
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Anderson
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06-19-09 1:14 PM
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Now that WOULD be some great business development that just might create some REAL wealth. Go for it. and good luck!
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thendrickson
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06-19-09 12:47 AM
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You'll be lucky if you have the ethanol plants in a few years when people finally wise up and realize it's just a corporate welfare program.
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jaybares
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06-19-09 12:34 AM
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The Supervisors and Council are to be commended for seeing the wisdom of having a proactive system for talking to prospects and to existing businesses. Sure is improvement over hit and miss programs of the past. Good job.
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