The city of Galesburg has been awarded a $25 million federal transportation grant to install rail track and switching at the Galesburg Business Park as part of the construction of a large, containerized agricultural terminal on site.
The grant is nearly half of a $54 million investment in the Business Park, a city-owned 330-acre site southeast of Galesburg that’s adjacent to Interstate 74 and BNSF’s Peoria Subdivision rail line.
When the project is finished, agricultural commodities produced in the region will be loaded into rail containers onsite and then shipped overland via BNSF rail to west coast ports for export, significantly reducing cargo transit.
Officials say it will make Galesburg an attractive location for new industries, especially those in agriculture, and also open a new export market for commodities to Asia.
“We are extremely grateful for the support of our legislators in making this project possible and are excited to finally see opportunities in the Galesburg Business Park expand through additional investment in strong rail infrastructure,” said City Manager Eric Hanson.
The funding is from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity” (RAISE) program and was supported by U.S. Representatives Eric Sorensen and Darin LaHood, as well as U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth.
“This is more than an infrastructure win for Galesburg. It’s about creating good jobs, opening markets for farmers, and boosting opportunities for local businesses and families,” Sorensen said. “By bringing tax dollars home to upgrade transportation and give businesses the tools to grow, we’re building a stronger, brighter future for Galesburg.”
According to a city release, BNSF Railway, the Illinois Department of Transportation, State Sen. Mike Halpin, State Rep. Dan Swanson, the Knox County Farm Bureau and the Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity all provided additional assistance.
Hanson said the funding is a tremendous opportunity for Galesburg that would not be possible without leadership from the Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development and its president, Ken Springer.
“KCAP is proud to bring forward the first significant project for the city’s Galesburg Business Park property. Knox County’s rail assets are a key advantage for our area and building additional investment using these assets has been a longtime goal of our organization,” Springer said.
The DeLong Co., Inc. will construct the intermodal agricultural export facility on the site. It will occupy around 100 acres of the Business Park.
The company operates 37 locations around the U.S. and has six divisions of agricultural and logistical sales and services: grain, exports, agronomy, seed, transportation, and wholesale feed.
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