Laserfiche WebLink
<br />HoustonChronicle.com - Pasadena presented with trade zone proposal <br /> <br />Page 2 of2 <br /> <br />If the Pasadena City Council approves the agreement with LIT on second reading, it could take eight <br />months to a year before the zone gets final approval from the Foreign Trade Zones Board in <br />Washington, Boring said. <br /> <br />The process includes submitting a request to the Port of Houston for review by port staff members. If the <br />review is favorable, the staff members recommend that port commissioners pass a resolution to submit <br />the expansion application to the board in Washington, said port spokeswoman Argentina James. <br /> <br />Houston Port officials typically dispense with their part of the process quickly, Boring said. <br /> <br />In addition to the LIT site in Pasadena, Boring said he is representing owners of four other potential <br />Foreign Trade Zone expansion sites in Harris County. He said he will present all five to the port at the <br />same time, after agreements are approved by the city councils involved. <br /> <br />One of the other sites consists of two adjacent properties in Pasadena's industrial district near the <br />Bayport Container Terminal. <br /> <br />Two more sites involve a single owner, Clay Development, which has land at Texas 225 and <br />Underwood Street. Part of the land is in La Porte and part is in Deer Park, so it is considered to be two <br />expansion sites, Boring said. <br /> <br />The fifth proposed expansion site is in La Porte, near Texas 146 and McCabe Road. <br /> <br />While waiting for federal approval, LIT can go ahead with construction and other preparations, Boring <br />said. <br /> <br />LIT's inclusion in Foreign Trade Zone 84 will be good for Pasadena, Boring said, because the zone will <br />help diversify the city's business base and will bring back entry-level jobs paying $12 to $18 an hour. <br /> <br />"These are the jobs where you can go to work with just a high school education," he said. <br /> <br />By contrast, automation at the petrochemical plants has raised the education bar for new employees to a <br />minimum of two years of college, he said. <br /> <br />caro/. christian@chron.com <br /> <br />HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.comISection:PasadenalBaytown news <br />This article. is: httIl:/ /www.cbron.comldisp/story.mpllnb/pasadena/news/388S869 .html <br /> <br />http://www.chron.com!cs/CD A/printstory .mpl/nb/pasadena/news/3 885869 <br /> <br />5/25/2006 <br />