Cates Landing Riverport officially approved.

[Rural King]

Its official! The Cates Landing Riverport will become a reality for Lake County after an announcement made by federal, state, and local officials at the site on Thursday. There are high hopes that the riverport will make NWTN a major shipping point for commodities from the the greater NWTN/West KY/SE Missouri region and spur on growth of high wage jobs in an associated 1,000 acre+ industrial park to be linked with the new riverport. The industrial site and port are hoped to create thousands of jobs directly and indirectly, leading to a tremendous positive impact for NWTN, esp. Lake, Obion, and Dyer counties.

Cates Landing is just north of city of Tiptonville, the county seat of Lake County, and sits in a prime location above the flood plain which will allow it to serve the river and region between St. Louis and Memphis year round. Its location near the I-155 spur in Dyer County to its south, which the site will eventually be linked to by a new four-lane, and the future I-69 route in Obion County to its east will also help the port's chances of developing into a major distribution, transportation, and manufacturing/industrial hub.

Tennessee Economic Develop Guide article for more info on the Cates Landing Project and a rendering of the port facilties:

http://www.tnedg.com/02archivesite/dist2.html

An AP article from the Jackson Sun website about the announcement with a slightly less optomistic tone than most articles on the subject and a WAY different number for the industrial park then what the TEDG article states above or that I've ever seen stated.:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TN_...EMPLATE=DEFAULT

Some recent articles from the Dyersburg Gazette for more information on the project:

Sen. Alexander's recent visit to the site:

http://www.stategazette.com/story/1116049.html

On road funding for the site:

http://www.stategazette.com/story/1091362.html

[Hankster]

Looks like a great project for NW Tennessee. Is there an estimated completion date?

[Rural King]

Over the next 10 years is the best timetable I have seen. I think the port facilities will be online in the next few years, but the full development of the industrial site and the road connection from Lake County to I-155 will take several more years. I imagine things will come on line a little bit at a time, first the port, then port related industries, and finally once the infrastructure is all in place a more varied industrial base will start to look into and hopefully set up operation at the site. So I would hope we would see what the benefits will turn out to be within the next 6-10 years.

I'm very optomistic about the site and think it will bring alot of opportunity to the region. Its not guaranteed, but nothing is.

[Rural King]

I just read in the Dyersburg Gazette a very interesting statement from Governor Bredesen about the Cates Landing project:

"There's no doubt the port will be an asset to West Tennessee," the governor said in response to a question during a statewide teleconference with more than 20 reporters. "If we're smart it'll open up a whole new part of Tennessee to investment by the Japanese."

Article Link: http://www.stategazette.com/story/1122936.html

It was given during a tele-conferance with the media upon the Governor's return from Japan.

This raises my hopes for the project even more. I wonder just what Cates Landing could lead to now, not just at the site, but perhaps at other sites in the West Tennessee. The Japanese have been great investors and employers for the State of Tennessee, I would love to see them invest more in West Tennessee.

[sleepy]

And let's not forget that I-69 should be opening up in about 10 yrs. or so as well, and will pass right by that area.

[Rural King]

Cates Landing Riverport has had its official groundbreaking with local and state officials along with the Governor praising the unprecedented regional co-operation of Obion, Lake, and Dyer counties in regards to this landmark economic development project. Governor Bredesen stated he is citing the co-operation of these counties as a model of how local and state governments can effectively co-operate on economic development projects.

The port should be open in about 18 months.

Major industries are already expressing interest in coming to the Port's associated industrial park/sites. As stated before, it is estimated the port could bring as many as 4000 direct jobs, and 2000 indirect jobs to the region. That would make it one of the bigger economic developments in the state.

Jackson Sun Article:

http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...EWS01/610310306

This project, coupled with I-69, the TVA mega-sites in Crockett and Haywood Counties, and the expansion of the Union City airport into a regional facility by Obion and Weakley counties fortell of A LOT of potential in NWTN.