Preliminary work is proceeding on what will be a massive 3,100-acre rail spur and industrial park site in the central Colorado city of Fountain.
The Southern Colorado Rail Park, to be developed by the Edward C. Levy Company, will go up on the southwest side of the city, and will see the building of both light and heavy manufacturing, as well as some commercial space.
A sketch plan for the project approved by members of the El Paso County Commission shows the creation of a new rail spur extending from the coal-fired Ray Nixon Power Plant in Fountain to just outside the Fort Carson US Army post, some 14 miles to the northwest.
The site is located on mostly undeveloped land to the west of Interstate 25 and south of the Charter Oak Ranch Road.
Talk and pre-planning regarding the viability of what will be a rail-served industrial complex has been ongoing for the last decade among the staffs of both the City of Fountain as well as El Paso County.
A Memorandum of Understanding for Rail-Served Economic Development was approved in 2018, with various sources indicating that the project would undoubtedly create new manufacturing jobs, while also improving the rail-based rapid deployment capabilities of historic Fort Carson.
The project has since evolved into a public/private partnership with the Edward C. Levy Company, whose headquarters are based in Detroit and is dedicated to green development work.
A feasibility study, according to county documents, has since determined that “there are no fatal flaws” associated with the project.
Besides the new railroad spur, the project is also expected to see the building of an internal rail loop designed to “provide train storage and expand the area for rail access.”
The next step in the project will see the interested parties presenting an official preliminary plan in the months ahead.
By Garry Boulard
Image Credit: Courtesy of Unsplash