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3)Consider facilitating the discussion with property owners, state and <br />county economic officials, and the Union Pacific Railroad, among others, <br />to test the idea of creating a special logistics park in the vacant area <br />bounded by State Highway (S.H.) 225 and S.H. 146 and adjacent to the <br />existing Union Pacific rail line. There are a number of distribution-related <br />companies in the region. The key in maximizing this opportunity is for <br />the City to go beyond warehousing to create opportunities to add value <br />to the goods passing through the area. Specialized facilities that allow for <br />easy off-loading of freight combined with <br />Retail Development: <br />special financial incentives for the <br />Fairmont and Main Street <br />modifications of imports and exports (such as <br /> <br />through a Foreign Trade Zone) could be a key <br />Fairmont Parkway has been <br />in making La Porte even stronger for value- <br />developing as the new location <br />added manufacturing and distribution. This <br />(or relocation) of some of the <br />would include: <br />City’s key destinations that were <br />a.Facilitate discussion with state and <br />once anchors for Main Street, <br />federal officials on the process of creating a <br />including City Hall, the U.S. Post <br />general-purpose Foreign Trade Zone, which <br />Office, and many of the newer <br />can be sponsored by economic development <br />retail businesses. As business <br />corporations and typically involve public <br />expanded on Fairmont Parkway, <br />facilities that can be used by more than one <br />business declined on Main <br />firm, and are most commonly industrial parks <br />Street. <br />used by small to medium sized businesses for <br /> <br />warehousing/distribution and some <br />Today, there is opportunity to <br />15 <br />processing/ assembly. <br />have complimentary retail in <br />b.Facilitate rezoning and permitting the <br />both locations. Main Street <br />property to allow high-quality, large site <br />offers a place well suited for <br />industrial warehousing. <br />entertainment, fine dining, <br />c.Approach Union Pacific on the <br />neighborhood cafes, boutique <br />possibility of building special rail sidings (i.e., <br />shopping, and tourist-based <br />a low-speed track sections distinct from the <br />businesses, all in an urban, <br />main line to be used for loading and <br />pedestiran-scaled and walkable <br />unloading freight) into a proposed park. <br />environment. On the other <br />hand, Fairmont Parkway has <br />developed as an auto-urban <br />Focus Area 4 – Continued focus on <br />commercial corridor, which best <br />expanding retail and commercial <br />serves the automobile and is less <br />service businesses within the City. <br />conducive to pedestrians and <br /> <br />tourist-based businesses. <br />One of the topics that came up repeatedly <br /> <br />Source: City of La Porte Economic <br />during the public participation process was a <br />Development Strategic Plan; modified <br />lack of commercial retail opportunities within <br />by Kendig Keast Collaborative. <br />the City. Indeed, per capita retail sales in La <br /> <br />15 <br /> Trade Information Center. June 2000. <br />5.17 <br /> <br />Economic <br />2. <br />17Adopted July 20, 2009 <br />Dlt <br /> <br />