JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Friday $18 million in statewide grants to help improve Florida’s supply chain infrastructure.
During the 2023-2024 legislative session, $100 million was allocated for a five-year investment in projects to enhance the capacity for transporting and storing aggregate materials in Florida.
Aggregate is a hard, inert material like gravel, sand, or slag that is mixed with a cementing material to make concrete, mortar, or plaster.
The grants will fund new aggregate terminals in various locations, including Lake City, Plant City, the Port of Tampa Bay, and JAXPORT, increasing the annual aggregate capacity by 1.2 million tons.
CSX is going to be underwritten to construct a new aggregate terminal in Plant City to accommodate 20 acres of storage and 250,000 additional tons of aggregate annually.
JAXPORT is getting $2.6 million to increase rail capacity to accommodate 15 acres of yard storage, an additional 240 tons of aggregate annually.
DeSantis said Lake City will have 80,000 additional tons of aggregate that they’re going to be able to do annually as a result of these grants.
DeSantis said these investments aim to bolster Florida’s supply chain and ensure the state can meet its material needs independently.
Copyright 2024 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.