BNSF on March 12 reported celebrating the official groundbreaking of its new Logistics Center North Dallas. Located in Gunter, Tex., an hour north of Dallas near State Highway 289, it will be a 944-acre multi-customer, multi-commodity industrial park. This BNSF-owned facility, like the railroad’s five others in Hudson, Colo.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Fontana, Calif.; Sweetwater, Tex.; and Cleveland, Tex., will “create a speed-to-market advantage for customers by helping them save up to nine to 12 months of development time,” according to the railroad.
The Logistics Centers are described as differing from private business parks by BNSF “investing directly in the development of the facility to create sites in under-served, strategic, and primarily end-user markets.”
Construction of Logistics Center North Dallas’ first phase is slated to take approximately 19 months. BNSF and the City of Gunter “continue to work closely together with plans for future zoning and platting requirements,” the Class I said.
“Gunter is well-placed in one of the fastest‑growing corridors in the country, and this new logistics center positions our customers to take full advantage of that momentum,” BNSF Assistant Vice President of Economic Development and Real Estate Scot Bates noted. “By offering direct rail service and a ready‑to‑build site, we’re helping customers expand their supply chain reach faster and more efficiently.”
“This groundbreaking represents an important step for Gunter’s future,” added Gunter Mayor Karen Souther. “Getting here required hard conversations, meaningful collaboration, and a commitment from everyone involved to find a path that will protect our community while creating opportunities. I am so proud of where we are today and of the partnership that helped make it possible.”
CPKC, also on March 12, reported the certification of 14 new Site Ready rail-served industrial development sites. The sites are located across six U.S. states, three provinces in Canada, and two states in Mexico, and are said to open more than 6,600 acres of immediately developable land to prospective manufacturers, logistics operators, and supply chain partners. Certified in partnership with global engineering and construction firm Burns & McDonnell, CPKC said the locations are “tailored for versatility, scalability and long-term operational success.” The railroad now has 22 such locations across North America.
“Our Site Ready Program supports customers with efficient industrial solutions and drives economic growth continent-wide,” said John Brooks, CPKC Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “Each certified location is designed to streamline development, accelerate timelines, and create new value for both business and communities through unparalleled rail connectivity.”
According to CPKC, the sites are part of its Room to Grow strategy and are “located close to major markets, ports and distribution hubs for optimized logistics”; “pre-certified for rail service”; and backed by CPKC “expertise, from initial site selection to ongoing rail operations”; and their “development drives local job creation, capital investment and lasting economic benefits.”
The NS-served industrial site in Muncie, Ind., has earned Gold REDI (Ready for Economic Development Investment) Site certification, the railroad announced March 12. “Indiana has the highest concentration of manufacturing employment on a per capita basis, twice the U.S. average, underscoring the state’s industrial strength and importance of rail-served development,” NS noted. “The certification reflects the site’s preparedness to support the region’s target industries, including advanced manufacturing, food processing, metals processing, logistics, and industrial operations, with direct rail access and connectivity to key transportation corridors.”
The 80-acre Muncie site is along NS’ high-capacity Chicago to Atlanta corridor and nine miles from I-69.
The Site Selectors Guild’s REDI program is said to evaluates sites on key criteria including:
- “Infrastructure capacity and utility readiness.
- “Environmental due diligence and site control.
- “Transportation access, including rail service.
- “Workforce availability and regional market access.
- “Development timeline and overall project feasibility.”
According to NS, a Gold certification indicates the site meets “rigorous standards and is prepared to support large-scale manufacturing, logistics, or industrial operations.” A total of 18 NS-served sites (NSites) have received a REDI designation.
“Gold REDI certification demonstrates that this Muncie site is ready to compete for significant industrial investment,” NS Director of Industrial Development MaryBeth Flournoy said. “With direct rail service and strong regional infrastructure, the site offers companies the connectivity and reliability they need to grow while strengthening economic opportunity in Indiana.”
“In today’s competitive industrial market, speed and certainty drive location decisions,” added Traci Lutton, Vice President of Economic Development for the Economic Development Alliance of Muncie-Delaware County, Ind. “Through our partnership with NS and the REDI Sites program, achieving Gold certification mitigates risk, accelerates timelines, and positions Delaware County as a rail-served community ready for industrial investment.”
