The Fresno City Council could act this week to bolster the city's push to be chosen as the home for the heavy maintenance facility for California’s high-speed rail project.
On Thursday, the council is set to vote on a proposal that would set aside $250,000 to secure the rights to property at the proposed site in Southwest Fresno. That money would be used to put non-refundable deposits on the land which is currently owned by several private parties.
The city has identified the lack of control over the land as a major hurdle in their push to attract the project.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority has weighed ten different sites for the center, at least one from every county in the area.
Competition for the facility is very strong between communities because it is expected to bring 1,500 permanent jobs and have an annual economic impact of almost $500 million.
The Fresno County Transportation Authority has already $25 million from the transportation sales tax known as Measure C to buy the land if the Fresno site is ultimately selected by rail officials.
