City of Winter Haven Approves Construction of 1.25-mile Rail Spur from CSX to Chick-Fil-A Storage Facility
by James Coulter
A railroad spur connecting the Winter Haven CSX Intermodal Terminal to a planned food-grade cold storage facility will soon be under construction now that the City of Winter Haven has approved a grant, cooperation, and construction agreement for the project.
At their regular meeting on Mon. Jan. 12, Winter Haven city commissioners voted unanimously to approve the first reading of three ordinances about a proposed railroad spur.
The first ordinance approves securing a $1,500,000 grant agreement from the Department of Commerce for the project’s design and construction.
The second ordinance approves a cooperation agreement among the three main parties involved in the project, including the City of Winter Haven, Chick-fil-A’s subsidiary distribution company Supply Properties II, LLC (CFA), and the property seller Tratt Properties, LLC (Tratt).
The third ordinance approves awarding the construction contract for the project to R.W. Summers Railroad Contractors, Inc. At $3,330,202, their bid was the lowest and most responsive of the three bids received.
The proposed rail spur project will install 1.25 miles of track running from the CSX Southern Wye track to a planned 41-acre Chick-fil-A food-grade, cold storage facility.
On Dec. 9, 2024, the City of Winter Haven submitted a grant application to the Department of Commerce. The grant was awarded on Mar. 10, 2025, with the grant announced by the Governor at Winter Haven’s Central Florida Intermodal Logistics Park.
The construction’s total cost is estimated to be approximately $3,300,000, with the City responsible for the full $1,500,000 in grant funds, and the remaining costs covered by Tratt and CFA.
“When the project is complete, the City will transfer ownership of the rail spur, and rights to the easements within which the rail spur will be constructed, to a commercial property owners’ association known as Central Florida Intermodal Logistics Park Property Owners’ Association, Inc, which will be financially responsible for ongoing maintenance and operation expenses,”wrote Eric Labbe, Economic Opportunity & Community Investment Director.
