Duke Energy recently completed a site evaluation and marketing report on more than 440 acres next to the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.
The property, according to the report, can be made site-ready for aerospace manufacturing, light industrial and assembly companies, and the plastics industry.
“We want to help you, to encourage you, as you market the Zephyrhills airport’s industrial area,” said Beth Land, a consultant with McCallum Sweeney, a national firm that partners with the Duke Energy Site Readiness program.
The engineering firm, HRP Associates, also participated in the site’s analysis.
The site-readiness program began in 2005 for the purpose of identifying and improving industrial sites that can attract investments and jobs in communities within Duke Energy’s service region. In the past decade, 155 site readiness projects have been completed, mostly within Southeastern states.
Work on the Zephyrhills’ project began several months ago. Two other sites in Florida – the Deltona Commerce Park in Volusia County and Florida Energy and Aerospace Training (FEAT) Park – were evaluated in 2013.
The report was presented to a joint workshop of the Zephyrhills City Council and the Pasco County Commission on June 22, prior to the city council’s monthly meeting. There was no discussion from council or commission members afterward.
One of the initial steps recommended by Duke Energy is an environmental assessment of the industrial site. Pasco County might be able to use a portion of a $400,000 federal grant to complete the task, if property owners give permission. The grant was awarded recently to help Pasco County build an inventory of brownfield sites. An update is expected by October.
The term “brownfield site” generally refers to the reuse, expansion or redevelopment of property, which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The site readiness report for the Zephyrhills location provided a detailed look at the area’s prospects for future development, its strengths and weaknesses, and recommendations to boost its attractiveness to investors.
The team of evaluators found the site suitable for one or two large facilities built on site or a cluster of smaller facilities with multiple users.
“We’ve been very excited about the whole process,” said John Walsh, vice president of the Pasco Economic Development Council. “It’s an exciting opportunity to promote Zephyrhills and show the rest of the world we’re ready to bring investment opportunities and get some jobs here.”
As laid out by Land and Mark Sweeney, one of the owners of McCallum Sweeney, the path to certifying a site as market-ready takes commitment, time and resources.
“It can be very demanding at times,” said Sweeney.
But the rewards, as touted in the report, can be significant.
Among success stories for Duke Energy’s program is Severcorr Steel, which invested about $800 million in a facility in Columbus, Mississippi, and created 450 jobs. Among McCallum Sweeney’s clients are Hertz, Northrup Grumman, Nordex, Boeing and Alenia Aeronautics.
The key is to understand that economic development is a business with the community as the product being sold. “Everything about your community may be a factor they (investors) are considering in whether they want to locate in your community,” Sweeney said.
Among a list of considerations would be the site itself, the infrastructure including utilities, the labor force and quality of life factors.
There are issues with the site that should be addressed prior to marketing the site, Land said.
The property has three owners, 4 Rail LLC, Sysco Corporation and 5L Properties LLC. The portion owned by 5L Properties is zoned agricultural, and Duke Energy recommends either rezoning it as industrial or at least creating a timeline for completing the task.
There is access to the property from Chancey Road, Sixth Avenue and State Road 54, but it also is 13 miles from Interstate 75 and 20 miles from Interstate 4. An investor would want to know what routes are available to connect to interstate highways.
Duke Energy also recommends building a rail spur onto the property off the CSX rail line adjacent to the site’s western border. No cost estimate was provided.
Construction of a new wastewater line and lift station is needed, according to the report, at an estimated cost of about $1.7 million and a timeline of up to a year for completion.
The power company also recommends creation of a master plan for how to develop the site.
“This is a great spot. Our key to success is having pads ready,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore. There is a lot of opportunity here.”
Published July 1, 2015
