CSX Project Rolls Along | Company puts finishing touches on plans for expanded freight yard
There is little doubt that the CSX expansion of its freight yard along Shrewsbury and Franklin Streets will happen and, if all goes according to plan, it will be completed by the end of next year.
At this point, the devil is in the details.
For example, while CSX has received initial approval from the city and state for the project, the company still has to file plans with the local planning board outlining the specific engineering and building specifications of the project.
Officials for the Florida-based rail company also have to complete the purchase of a handful of parcels near the facility that will support the company’s expanded footprint from 60 acres to more than 80 acres. The company is still seeking permission from the state to use eminent domain as a way of taking the land, which company officials said is a last resort.
Beyond that, CSX won a victory before the New Year when outgoing state environmental and energy affairs secretary Ian Bowles decided that the environmental impact statement the company submitted was sufficient and did not require further analysis.
While the project continues to roll on, there are still some in the community that are monitoring the project as it moves forward with watchful eyes.
Political Pressure
State Rep. Vincent Pedone, D-Worcester, not only represents the Shrewsbury and Franklin Street area on Beacon Hill, but he also lives near the rail yard that will soon be the company’s New England hub.
He’s been pleased so far with CSX’s willingness to work with city and state officials to mitigate concerns that have been raised. For example, the company has agreed to construct a new on and off ramp to Interstate 290 to accommodate the increased truck traffic on the highway that could result from the expanded operation there. Company officials have also agreed to construct state-of-the-art facilities with low environmental impacts in the yard, Pedone said.
There are still some concerns, however, including increased noise pollution in the area.
In addition to CSX increasing the trains and trucks entering and exiting the expanded facility, the state’s MBTA commuter rail system will see increased service in the coming years.
While more trains for commuters is a good thing, Pedone said, they also make noise.
“People aren’t going to be concerned about what type of train is making the noise, they’re going to be concerned about the increased noise,” he said.
CSX officials are downplaying the potentially negative impact of the expansion. They say truck traffic will actually be reduced on the highways between Boston and Worcester after the expansion is complete. Robert Sullivan, a spokesman for CSX, said the “predominant” amount of truck traffic comes from the West. Currently, he said, a “good deal” of traffic is going past Worcester, into Boston and is carried via train westward. With the increased capabilities of the expanded intermodal Worcester facility — where cargo will be transferred from truck to train — it will reduce the number of trucks on the highways between Boston and Worcester, Sullivan said. There will be more trucks coming into Worcester, however, which is why a new on and off ramp is being built.
Plus, Sullivan said the expanded operations in Worcester could spur other development in the area.
“There is potential for this to bring some new business to the city,” he said, noting that businesses that rely on freight rail tend to like having distribution centers near the intermodal stations.
Most people in the city see the project as a boon for Worcester. With nearly $23 million of the company’s more than $120 million project going directly to improve the city, it can be hard not the view the project that way.
The investments include $5 million for a neighborhood improvement fund, which will be used to purchase open space; a per-container fee valued at $4.4 million over 22 years; $3 million worth of traffic improvements, including a new on and off ramp for Interstate 290; and $10.6 million worth of streetscape improvements along the Grafton, Plantation and Franklin street areas.
The project is expected to create 376 construction jobs and 42 permanent jobs, according to city estimates.
“This project is going to have a positive ripple effect for the city,” said David Forsberg, president of the Worcester Business Development Corp., which has offices on Shrewsbury Street, but has not been directly involved with the project. “Whether it’s a single, a double, a triple or a home run, it’s yet to be seen, but it’s going to be a plus.”
As for the notion that CSX’s expansion could bring new businesses to the city in the form of distribution centers, Forsberg said such buildings are usually massive facilities that require large amounts of space. That may or may not be realistic for Worcester, he noted. It’s important, he said, to consider the CSX project as a regional initiative that has potential to benefit the greater Worcester area as a whole.
But before the project can create a ripple effect, it must be completed. And before CSX can even begin construction it needs to finalize property acquisitions near the expansion site.
A handful of property owners in the area have refused to settle on a selling price with CSX. The company, meanwhile, is appealing to the state’s Department of Public Utilities for permission to allow the company to use eminent domain to take at least four properties. DPU spokesperson Timothy Shevlin said he expects the DPU to hold hearings on the topic in April and make a formal decision about granting CSX the eminent domain right soon after that.
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