PHOENIX — BNSF Railway is seeking to acquire more than 3,500 acres of state-owned land for an intermodal and industrial facility in the Phoenix area, according to a news report.
The Phoenix Business Journal reports that state records show BNSF, through WittDev LLC, wants to bid on the land currently held by the Arizona State Land Department. The application allows potential private owners to request a public auction of the state land. The state land commissioner can then approve or deny the request; in this case, the request has been approved and the auction will be held March 30. The minimum bid price will be more than $49 million, or about $14,000 per acre.
The land is located near a BNSF line and U.S. Route 60 between the communities of Wittmann and Surprise, and is adjacent to 500 acres already owned by the railroad. The railroad’s plan call for a logistics park, logistics center, and intermodal facility, with development over a five- to 10-year period.
It’s “Wittmann” (no “h”), and 60 is a US Highway, not a state route.