A railroad spur in Altoona could be a catalyst for warehouse development on the city’s northeast side.

Denny Franzen, owner of Iowa Cold Storage, is proposing to bring a rail spur off of the Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. line into a warehouse district near Northeast Adventureland Drive. The spur would run six-tenths of a mile.

Franzens said the company is still waiting for confirmation of federal funding from the Department of Transportation to complete the spur. Franzen said this area is a prime spot for warehouse development, and the spur would spark interest. “There isn’t a lot of spur access in Des Moines, especially in the new industrial areas,” he said.

The spur would be constructed in two phases. The first phase would bring the spur to the Merchants Distribution Service’s new 136,000-square-foot distribution warehouse. The second phase would extend the spur to Iowa Cold Storage. Franzen said the second phase of the project is contingent on the federal funding. If all goes according to plan, Franzen said, the first phase of the project will be complete by July 31. The second phase could be complete by the same time if federal funding is approved.

The Altoona Planning and Zoning Commission approved the plan at its meeting last night. Final papers need to be submitted before the plan will appear at city council meeting.

This is the second time Frazen has proposed the rail spur. In 2005 a similar request was made but federal funding was not awarded in time for the project to be completed.