Work may well begin later this fall on a massive project seeing the building of a multi-modal railroad hub in southern Arizona.
The project, which belongs to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway company, has been in the talking stage for more than a year and will see the $3.2 billion construction of terminal, distribution facilities, and warehouse.
What is being called Logistics Park Phoenix will also see the building of a 22-acre wastewater treatment facility on a nearly 4,300-acre site in the city of Wittmann.
BNSF has described the project as a “best-in-class, state of the art facility” that will lead to the reduction of truck traffic in the area by using rail, “the most environmentally friendly way to move goods over land.”
The largest railway system in the country, BNSF, with headquarters based in Fort Worth, encompasses more than 33,400 miles of track in 28 states. The company has said that construction of the Wittmann hub will greatly facilitate freight transportation across a busy southwestern rim that includes Texas and California.
A press release from the company has noted that the project upon completion will “tie into the existing rail network to optimize supply chain operations, allowing for the efficient movement of goods and materials via rail.”
Farm owners in the vicinity have predicted in public forums that the project will have a negative impact on their operations. According to the publication Ag Daily, those owners, along with other residents, have said that the project will “bring noise pollution, environmental damage, and significantly lower property values.”
In response, BNSF officials have said that the number of access points to the site will be reduced to minimize traffic, while a 400-foot long buffer with a berm will be constructed around the perimeter of the property.
The next important date for the railroad hub will come on August 20, when members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors are scheduled to vote on a BNSF request to rezone the site for the planned project.
Two earlier meetings of that board to discuss the project were delayed upon the request of BNSF, which said it wanted more time to listen to and hopefully address community concerns.
May 12, 2025
By Garry Boulard
