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Originally Posted by Atlas
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The City had completed a Master Plan for the Inland Port area and began the work to implement it. This action is what caused the State to step in and claim ownership. The State said that the project was too big and too important for a City to own and run because they are too small to grasp the full details.
This is where the fighting started and it escalated when the State decided to give the Port Authority 100% of the increase in property taxes for 25+ years from when the property is developed in the inland port area. This money can go to infrastructure for the port or can be used as incentives for companies and developers.
I do lean more towards the port than away from it as it will lead to growth of the City directly with the possibility of increased focus by companies looking for a Regional HQ or better as their operations increase in the area like Stadler Rail.
I will say that the number of zoning letter requests for properties within the Inland Port area has grown dramatically over the last year and while the City has primary zoning control for the area, the zoning can be appealed to the Port Authority. No appeals have been made to date.
There are a lot of warehouses going up currently in the Inland Port already and this is projected to increase. Additional trucking companies are setting up locations and expanding current locations in anticipation of the coming growth.
I don't think things will really speed up until there is a local Port of Entry staging and holding area is constructed either around the UP facility or a new facility is constructed, tentatively planned for an area near the new Prison. This might be the best choice as it would allow for increased rail competition. I think this is where the State leading the port could be a benefit due to possible regulations and permits that could be needed and possible incentives or course.