CentrePort industrial park construction set to start
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Real estate developer Focus Equities Inc. has been chosen to build an industrial project as part of CentrePort Canada. Construction will begin in the coming months.
The 665-acre CentrePort Canada Rail Park is located within CentrePort Canada, a 20,000-acre inland port project in the municipality of Rosser, in the Winnipeg region. The Rail Park will offer businesses with large-volume shipping needs the ability to access, transfer, and transport goods between road and rail, with close access to Winnipeg’s James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.
“As we emerge from this pandemic our government is focused on working with our economic development partners, industry and trade to unlock Manitoba’s true economic potential,” said premier Heather Stefanson.
“This development – in the heart of the country – will support our vision to make Manitoba a true trade gateway nationally and internationally. Expected to create more than 4,800 direct and indirect jobs and have a significant impact on the province’s GDP, the Rail Park project will help us bolster our economy and attract new businesses, now and well into the future.”
Focus Equities Inc. has build-to-suit experience with industrial and Fortune 500 companies, including IKEA, Walmart and Loblaws.
“We are already in negotiations with global brands who are interested in choosing our Rail Park land for their transportation infrastructure needs, said owner Ken Mariash. “Focus Equities is honoured to be awarded the CentrePort Canada Rail Park project and thanks the Province of Manitoba and CentrePort Canada Inc.”
Mariash added that global supply-chain issues have created new demand in North America for a centralized logistics and shipping location for rail, truck and air.
He also said there is more good news in store for Winnipeg and Manitoba with Canadian Pacific Railway’s acquisition of Kansas City Southern. If approved by the U.S. regulator, it will be North America’s first single-line railway to stretch across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
“All inland ports have rail at the heart of their developments and the CentrePort Canada Rail Park is the linchpin in realizing the vision for a true trimodal inland port – and North America’s largest – right here in Manitoba,” said Diane Gray, president and CEO of CentrePort Canada Inc.
“As an integrated rail corridor connecting Canada through the U.S. to Mexico comes to fruition, significant opportunities exist for CentrePort to continue to grow and offer solutions to companies that manage part of their supply chain by rail.”
This announcement builds on other investments made by government to support the expansion and growth of CentrePort Canada and to connect rail service with other forms of transportation. Most recently, Manitoba has invested in safety improvements to the Perimeter Highway as a first step towards the Winnipeg One Million Perimeter Freeway Initiative.
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