UIPA unveils Cedar City as home to Utah’s first Union Pacific focus site

The Utah Inland Port Authority announced the designation of BZI Innovation Park within the Iron Springs Project Area in Cedar City as part of Union Pacific's Focus Site program. This designation underscores the site's preparedness and strategic importance to logistics and transportation in the Western United States.

“We look forward to providing rail service to the new BZI Innovation Park that connects Cedar City to our 32,000-mile network and nine international gateways to Canada and Mexico,” said Dan McLaughlin, assistant vice president - Marketing and Sales, Union Pacific Railroad. “With more than 820 rail-served acres available for build-to-suit projects, new warehouses and facilities can easily connect to rail.”

The park spans 820 acres and offers 8.5 million square feet of rail-served industrial and warehouse space. The site is a designated project area of the Utah Inland Port Authority and provides flexible development options with close access to Interstate 15, enabling one-day truck access to about 48 million people throughout the southwestern U.S.

"The BZI Innovation Park is a game-changer for Utah, enhancing our role as a crucial hub for commerce in the West,” said Ben Hart, executive director with the Utah Inland Port Authority. “This project not only expands our infrastructure but also elevates our strategic capabilities to serve regional markets."

Union Pacific's Focus Site program includes shovel-ready sites that are pre-approved for rail design, ensuring a streamlined development process. These sites offer large-scale development areas of at least 125 acres, with accessible utilities and roads, supported by local development efforts.

"Securing a Union Pacific Focus Site designation accelerates economic growth in Iron County,” said County Commissioner Mike Bleak. “It confirms our readiness for major industrial activities and positions us as a key player in the logistics sector, promising new opportunities for our community."

Benefits of BZI Innovation Park include:

• On-site transload services and logistics capabilities.
• Pre-approved rail project suitable for manifest service, with an existing rail spur.
• Target industries include construction manufacturing, aerospace and advanced manufacturing, and warehouse distribution.

"Rail is the backbone of our nation's economy. Through our rail transloading operator RailSync, BZI Innovation Park is becoming an economic powerhouse benefitting all of southwestern Utah," explains BZI CEO James Barlow. "We are pleased to be Union Pacific's first Focus Site in the state of Utah!"