Columbia County's
inland port decades late
Port of Miami gearing up since the 80's
Columbia County, FL (Posted Jan 03, 2011 05:05 am)
Sunrise over the Port of Miami
Like giant praying mantises, the 9 cranes in the
Port of Miami greet the rising sun as South
Florida looks forward to the completion of the
widening of the Panama Canal and its continued
role as the "Cargo Gateway of the Americas."
Columbia County's Inland Port and the hype
surrounding it is at least 15 years too late.
Sunrise over Columbia County's Inland Port
The frost is still on the ground as the sun rises over Columbia County's Inland Port the day Gov. elect Scott journeyed to Lake City. If he would have driven past the County's Inland Port, he would have seen signs that have been drooping for months. With $200,000 in salaries and benefits for the 2 person IDA staff; with $200,000 plus benefits for the County Commissioners and with an IDA Board who tells anyone who will listen what a great job they have been doing, one can only wonder who is watching the store?
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Miami's skyline sparkles in the early morning light
Framed by two cruise ships in the "Cruise Capitol of the World", Miami's skyline sparkles in early morning light. This is Columbia County/Lake City's competition for business.
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Columbia County's trees sparkle in the early morning light
Looking toward Lake City, the misdirected drooping signs in the middle of the photo, which should be perpendicular to the road in order to be seen, indentify the Columbia County Inland Port.
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The Port of Miami is a clear shot to the Ocean
The Port of Miami is a clear shot to the ocean and is America's closest port to the Panama Canal. The dredging of the port to allow super freighters to dock is expected to be completed by 2014. Columbia County is hyping the dredging of Jax Port as one of the reasons for the future success of its Inland Port. There are many that believe that this is just another pipe dream and that Jax Port, if it is ever dredged, won't be for a very long time.
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South Florida Economic Summit Coming January 11th
The South Florida Economic Summit, sponsored by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce will have as its opening speaker, Governor Rick Scott. While the economic development wizards in Columbia County have recently discovered the possibilities of a "free trade zone" the folks in Miami have been in the foreign trade zone business since 1976.
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Columbia County/North Central Florida economic summit
The tractor in the parking lot of Gateway Community
College announced the Columbia County Summit with a
vinyl sign strung between the tractor and a tree.
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30 year commissioner, Ronald Williams opened the
Columbia County/North Central Florida conference dressed
in his traditional cowboy garb and rattle snake boots.
The Commissioner's latest claim to fame was telling the
world on television that the Columbia County Commission
couldn't be trusted to keep economic secrets and then
telling the County Commission that he did not mean them.
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The County's long time Economic Development Director,
Jim Poole, addresses the summit, which according to
Deputy Economic Development Director, Gina Reynolds, was
sponsored by the land owners,
Plum Creek, which is the largest private land owner
in the country. If the Inland Port ever gets developed,
which doesn't seem likely in the near future, Plum Creek
will be the one getting the money for the land. From
left to right are County Commissioner Stephen Bailey,
behind the tree, Todd Powell of Plum Creek, Mr. Poole,
Com Williams in the Cowboy hat and then Representative,
Debbie Boyd.
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Mr. Poole and many other speakers addressed an audience
filled with the press, politicians from the Fed's on
down and just plain folks. There was much talk, no
specifics and no explanation why it took Columbia County
decades to wake up and see the economic development boat
was sailing by, while other areas in the South East have
been gearing up for years. There is no master plan for
the Plum Creek site, no utility plan and no road plan,
while at the same time the local politicians are
claiming that the Plum Creek site, which is just trees,
will generate thousands of jobs.
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South Florida has been gearing up for years
South Florida, as well as the Lake Placid area, Ocala, Jax Port, Cecil Field, and the Port of Savannah area have been gearing up for years building warehouses and office space and expanding port facilities. While all this has been going on Columbia County has done nothing. In the South East I-95 corridor there are millions of sq feet of warehouse and office space. The photo below speaks for itself.
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Columbia County's leadership in North Central Florida speaks for itself
Columbia County's Inland Port is on the right, behind
the barely visible droopy signs, which are behind the
first telephone poll on the right. Less than an hour
down the road is Jacksonville and the
Cecil Field Commerce Center, "which is one of the
most sought after locations in the Southeastern United
States for manufacturing, supply chain logistics and
industrial end users." That story is coming soon.