CSX has announced that a portion of the Lebanon Business Park in Lebanon, Indiana, has been designated a CSX Select Site.

Select Sites are development-ready properties along the CSX network where standard land use issues and comprehensive due diligence items have been previously addressed. These properties are pre-positioned to meet manufacturers’ needs, which significantly reduces the time required to construct facilities and ultimately bring products to market.

“Since 2010 when we partnered with the City of Lebanon and constructed a spur to bring rail service directly into the park, we have been looking to strengthen our position as the only master-planned business park in the area to offer rail service,” said Mark Hosfeld, Vice President of Leasing and Development for Duke Realty in Indiana. “Thanks to CSX’s proactive approach to addressing land use considerations and due diligence items, we’ll now be able to reduce the time and risk involved in delivering additional rail-served facilities in the park.”

The $4 million investment in the rail spur was made a reality through a public-private partnership between the City of Lebanon and Duke Realty.

“Lebanon Business Park’s designation as a CSX Select Site further enhances the steps Duke Realty and the City of Lebanon have taken over the years to make this a premier rail-served development site,” said Mayor Matt Gentry.

First developed in the late 1990s, the Lebanon Business Park is located 25 miles northwest of downtown Indianapolis near Interstate 65. The 1,250-acre master plan has grown to include nearly eight-million square feet of industrial, manufacturing, and distribution space in 17 buildings. The CSX Select Site designation applies to 250 undeveloped acres in the southwest portion of the park, which could be directly served by rail.

“The CSX Site Select program allows Boone County to compete globally and meet the needs of potential clients in a way many business parks cannot,” said Molly Whitehead, executive director of the Boone County Economic Development Corporation. “This designation compliments the infrastructure already in place and helps us take advantage of even more opportunities.”

“Direct rail service provides a real competitive advantage to many businesses, and the combination of site readiness and Boone County’s commitment to economic growth are key factors in attracting new jobs and investment to the area,” added Adam Hess, Industrial Development Director for CSX Transportation.

CSX introduced the Select Site program in 2012 to better serve new or existing customers on its network. CSX partners with The Austin Company, a nationally-known site selection consulting firm, to screen candidate sites and assist communities with the application and certification process.

To receive CSX Select Site designation, the location must meet a rigorous list of criteria, including infrastructure and utility availability, environmental reviews, appropriate zoning and entitlement, rail serviceability, proximity to highways or interstates, and other attributes. Once certified, the sites are featured on a new user-friendly web portal that includes press releases, promotional materials and direct marketing to site selection professionals.