A New York company thought Lorena would make a great place to raise lettuce, and so BrightFarms is spending more than $120 million placing greenhouses at Barnes Road and Birdie Lane in the small town south of Waco. BrightFarms, which has cleared the land and started on foundation work, says greens grown there under hydroponic conditions will find their way onto grocery shelves within four hours of shipping.
Lorena, with a population of about 1,900, stands to gain in other economic areas, said City Manager Kevin Neal, noting the BrightFarms site lies within the city’s Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 1. The city can capture tax money generated within this 1,000-acre zone to stimulate other development there. Neal said new homes and businesses appear on Lorena’s wish list.
“They’re in the early stages, just putting down foundation piers,” said Neal, referencing BrightFarms’ plan to initially place a 400,000-square-foot greenhouse on 8 acres. Build-out would see at least three more greenhouses, making Lorena arguably the lettuce capital of McLennan County.
BrightFarms reportedly bought 105 acres from a private owner, the land situated within the Lorena city limits and TIRZ No. 1. Neal said the company has pledged $1.3 million toward public infrastructure upgrades within Lorena, much of the money earmarked for roadway improvements. “What I’ve been told is the first greenhouse will include infrastructure improvements and will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $120 million,” Neal said. “Phase 2 may not cost that much.”
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