Management change planned for Jafza project

By Dan McCue Monday, November 30, 2009

Amidst the turmoil of the Dubai World debt crisis, subtle changes are coming to the management of Dubai based Jafza’s development of a massive logistics park near Santee.

The moves are not directly related to the current crisis, but rather are an outgrowth the reported $450 million purchase of London-based Gazeley Ltd., by Jafza’s parent company, Economic Zones World last year.

EZW, a subsidiary of Dubai World, has yet to be caught in the undertow related of the ongoing financial crisis in the Emirate.

For the sake of clarity, Dubai World is the emirate’s investment vehicle. It owns DP World, one of the largest global port operators, and EZW, which develops and operates economic zones and industrial parks. Gazeley, with its track record in Europe as Wal-mart’s development arm there, will help Dubai World to build a global logistics development business.

Gazeley is also considered to be at the forefront of green industrial development.

In the reshuffling, Chuck Heath, Jafza’s longtime managing director, has been named senior vice president and, among other roles, will serve as an advisor to EZW CEO Salma Hareb, long considered one of the most powerful businesswomen in the Arab world.

“I remain president of Jafza-South Carolina, and will also handle government relations in the U.S.,” Heath said.

Of his new assignment, Heath said he’s been asked to create a new business unit within EZW called “Management and Advisory.”

Through that new unit, Heath will serve as manager for several of the company’s other development projects around the world, and will also “advise other zones on global best practices,” Heath said.

In light of Heath’s new duties, EZW has appointed Nick Greenwood, Gazeley’s longtime managing director, to the position of senior vice president and managing director for Europe and the U.S., putting him directly in charge of the Santee project.

Greenwood did not respond to requests for comment, but in a profile in Property Week magazine in September, he spoke at length about continuing the company’s core business of large-scale industrial and logistics development, while also becoming more involved in the investment side of the property industry.

But that wasn’t to suggest he expected lavish backing from Dubai. In fact, he told Property Week with unintended prescience, “We haven’t got bucketloads of cash to buy up the market.”

“But we are under no pressure to sell assets so, compared with some of our competitors, we are in a good position,” Greenwood said.

Heath said he and Greenwood plan to come to South Carolina in January to formally announce what he described as “the handover” and to introduce Greenwood to stakeholders in the Santee project.

SC DOT - Press Release

Public Information Meeting in Orangeburg County concerning proposed improvements to the I-95/US 301 Interchange and US 301 Connector.



The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has scheduled a public information meeting Thursday, December 3, concerning the I-95/US 301 Interchange Modification and US 301 Connector Project.
The meeting will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., in the Lake Marion High School Cafeteria, 3656Tee Vee Road, Santee, SC.
The information meeting is intended to provide an opportunity to review and discuss individually with representatives SCDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) plans for the proposed project. The proposed improvements consist of a modifying the I-95/US 301 Interchange from partial access to a full access interchange.  The proposed improvements also include building a new location roadway to connect US 301 from I-95 to SC 6 near Naval Station Road. The US 301 connector is proposed to accommodate a five-lane section from I-95 tapering down to a three-lane section to SC 6. The connector road also includes a bridge over the CSX railroad approximately half way between I-95 and SC 6.
This project is partially funded by the Lower Savannah Council of Governments (LSCOG), congressional earmarks and Orangeburg County.
From 5 p.m. until 7p.m., persons will be received in a drop-in style, informal format.  Displays will be set up in the cafeteria and project team members from the SCDOT and FHWA will be available to discuss the project with interested citizens on an individual basis. No formal presentation will be given at this meeting. At a later date, a formal public hearing will be held on the project.
For more information, the public may contact Randall Young, Midlands Regional Production Engineer, SCDOT, at (803) 737-4682.  Persons with disabilities who may require special accommodations to attend the hearing should contact Karen Davis at (803) 737-1549 for assistance and information.

Public meeting Dec. 3 on proposed I-95/U.S. 301 interchange project

By GENE ZALESKI, T&D Staff Writer Thursday, November 19, 2009

A public information meeting is scheduled on Thursday, Dec. 3, related to the proposed improvements to the Interstate 95/U.S. 301 interchange and U.S. 301 Connector Project.

The S.C. Department of Transportation has scheduled the informal drop-in meeting from 5-7 p.m. in the Lake Marion High School cafeteria at 3656 Tee Vee Road in Santee.

The public will have an opportunity to review and discuss the project with SCDOT and Federal Highway Administration representatives.

“Right now we are developing our displays,” said Randall Young, SCDOT Midlands regional production engineer. He said the public will be able to see the plans for the project at the meeting.

The proposed improvements consist of modifying the I-95/US 301 interchange from a partial-access to a full-access interchange. Currently, there is a U.S. 301 northbound entrance onto I-95 and a southbound exit onto U.S. 301.

The project would involve construction of both a southbound and a northbound entrance and exit to both highways.

The proposed improvements also include building a new location roadway to connect U.S. 301 from I-95 to S.C. 6 near Naval Station Road.

The U.S. 301 connector would accommodate a five-lane section from I-95 tapering down to a three-lane section to S.C. 6. The connector road also includes a bridge over the CSX railroad approximately halfway between I-95 and S.C. 6.

The proposed project is partially funded by SCDOT through money allocated to the Lower Savannah Council of Governments region, Congressional earmarks and Orangeburg County.

A total of about $10 million has been allocated for the estimated $30 million to $35 million project.

Young said comments shared by the public during the Dec. 3 meeting will be gathered and reviewed, along with the various regulatory agency comments. The comments will be used in preparation of the final design plan (which will be used in the purchase of right-of-ways) and the environmental plan, he said.

A public hearing will be held in about a year to release the final plan, and the public will be able to express their opinions on the project, Young said.

After the public hearing and review of comments, rights-of-way will be purchased, construction documents will be finalized and the project will go to construction pending funding availability.

For more information, contact Young at 803-737-4682.

Persons with disabilities who may require special accommodations to attend the Dec. 3 hearing can contact Karen Davis at 803-737-1549 for assistance.

T&D Staff Writer Gene Zaleski can be reached by e-mail at gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5551. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.