Elected Officials Site Tour and Progress Update – Town of Callahan Water & Sewer Expansion Project
Nassau County, Florida, September 4, 2023 – On Monday, September 11, 2023, the Town of Council of Callahan will host a site tour for the Board of County Commissioners and provide a progress update on the Town’s water and sewer expansion project which will provide utilities to the Crawford Diamond Industrial Park and the surrounding area.
The Crawford Diamond Industrial Park is a McCallum Sweeney Certified Industrial Park consisting of 1,814 acres and approved for up to 10.5 million square feet of industrial use. It’s proximity to three ports, two interstates, and two railroad lines makes it a prime location to drive economic development with the opportunity to bring thousands of jobs to Nassau County. However, attracting companies has been difficult due to the lack of water and sewer services at the site.
To resolve this issue, the Nassau County Prosperity Plan provided $4.5 million of funding for an industrial water plant to support the Crawford Diamond Industrial Park. The funding provided a match for the anticipated $11.4 million State DEO Jobs Grants award to the Town of Callahan to construct a 3 million gallons per day (mgd) water plant to support job creating industrial development. This combined collaboration makes the $15.9 million project attainable. With the utility portion in process, a coalition consisting of the Board of County Commissioners, the Nassau County Economic Development Board, JaxUSA, Florida Power and Light and the Town of Callahan are collaborating to market the site to potential developments.
Work commenced on the water and sewer expansion project in 2021 with the design/build project awarded to TB Landmark (contractor) and Mittauer & Associates (Design Engineers). To date, approximately 3.6 miles of line along Highway 301 to the site have been installed. The electrical control building, high service water pumps and three wells are in the works with completion expected by mid-2024.
“The success of any entity, be it a family, church, business, or country, starts with a strong foundation. For the Crawford Diamond Industrial Park, a big part of that foundation is the water and wastewater system. The Town of Callahan looks forward to serving the businesses that come and build upon this foundation”, stated Randy Knagge, Mayor for the Town of Callahan.
On September 11, 2023 at 9:00 a.m., representatives from the Town of Callahan will host a brief site tour for the Board of County Commissioners and provide an update on the project, including anticipated timeline for completion. The event will take place at the Crawford Diamond at the entrance leading into the Industrial Park off Woods Lane. The public is welcome to attend the project update. The site tour will be limited to The Callahan Town Council, Board of County Commissioners and previously identified staff.
Should you have any questions, please reach out to Shawna Gugliuzza, Town Clerk, at (904) 879-3801 extension 203, or via email at clerk@townofcallahan-FL.gov.