January 16, 2019
by Gus Fontenot
Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance

Vinton Harbor & Terminal District Board President Jerry Merchant unveiled a conceptual sign today to be posted on Southwest Louisiana’s newest certified site at the Port of Vinton. Representatives from Louisiana Economic Development (LED), the Board of Commissioners for the Vinton Harbor & Terminal District, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, City of Vinton, Entergy Louisiana, SWLA Economic Development Alliance and others were on hand for the ceremonial event today at Vinton City Hall.

The new sign, donated to the port by Entergy Louisiana, advertises the 156-acre Site #11, designated as an official Certified Site under LED’s Site Certification Program. The port hopes this designation attracts new tenants to the property, which is zoned for heavy industrial use.

“We believe the Port of Vinton will help sustain the economic activity we are seeing today in Southwest Louisiana,” said Board President Jerry Merchant. “Having a certified site will hopefully kickstart that activity and will continue to serve our community well into the future.”

The Port of Vinton site is the 10th certified site in Southwest Louisiana and the seventh in Calcasieu Parish, but only the second site west of the Calcasieu River.

“The western part of Calcasieu Parish is positioning itself to be a prime area for development,” said Gus Fontenot, Project Coordinator for the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance. “A ‘shovel-ready’ certified site is an asset that can hopefully lure the kind of activity that will bring new jobs and opportunities to the Vinton area,” added Fontenot.

LED administers the Site Certification Program, which promotes sites that are “shovel ready” for businesses to build or locate. Since 2012, the state’s Site Certification Program has incentivized land owners to get property certified by offering to pay up to 75 percent of the costs associated with the due diligence process. That process includes environmental inspection, elevation surveys, archaeological investigations, a wetlands delineation, and much more in-depth documentation, analysis, and background work. The remaining 25 percent of the costs are covered by the landowner or others.

For more information about Southwest Louisiana’s Site Certification Program, contact Gus Fontenot at The Alliance (337) 433-3632 or email [email protected].