Louisiana - Louisiana officials announced a major shift in the state’s economic development strategy with the launch of the FastSites program, naming 19 locations across 16 parishes that will advance in the first round of funding.

Gov. Jeff Landry said the initiative represents the largest coordinated site investment effort in Louisiana history and is designed to move the state from reacting to opportunities to actively preparing for them.

“This isn’t economic development as usual. FastSites turns site preparation into a revolving investment and ensures public dollars don’t disappear, but instead work, return and work again,” Landry said. “That approach allows us to continually reinvest in Louisiana’s growth and strengthen our competitive position. Louisiana is not waiting for opportunity. We are preparing for it.”

19 Sites Selected Across 16 Parishes

The first round of FastSites includes a mix of airports, ports, industrial parks, and business parks positioned for advanced manufacturing, logistics, energy innovation, and other next-generation industries. The sites advancing are:

• Acadiana Regional Airport, Iberia Parish
• ARQ Red River, Red River Parish
• Avondale Global Gateway, Jefferson Parish
• Beaver Lake Industrial Park, Rapides Parish
• England Airpark, Rapides Parish
• Esperanza, St. Charles Parish
• Franklinton Industrial Park, Washington Parish
• Gulf South Commerce Park, St. Tammany Parish
• Lake Charles Regional Airport, Calcasieu Parish
• McLeod Business Park, Lafourche Parish
• Natchitoches Parish Port Warehouse, Natchitoches Parish
• Naval Support Activity Site, Orleans Parish
• Port Distran, Rapides Parish
• Port of Caddo Bossier, Caddo Parish
• Port of Columbia, Caldwell Parish
• Port Vinton, Calcasieu Parish
• Riverplex MegaPark Port, Ascension Parish
• ScaleBTR, East Baton Rouge Parish
• South Monroe Industrial Park, Ouachita Parish

The inclusion of major transportation hubs, such as regional airports and ports, signals a focus on projects that rely on strong logistics networks, including domestic and international shipping.

FastSites Designed As A Revolving Capital Program

FastSites is backed by the $150 million Site Investment and Infrastructure Fund, created by Act 365 of the 2025 Regular Legislative Session. State leaders describe the program as a “revolving capital” model rather than a one-time grant pool.

Under this structure, the state will invest in site preparation — including infrastructure such as utilities, roads, and rail access, as well as due diligence work like environmental and engineering studies. When a site is sold or leased and development moves forward, Louisiana aims to recover its investment and cycle those funds into new projects.

“This fund was designed to ensure public dollars are invested responsibly and returned to the state, not spent once and gone,” Louisiana Senate President Cameron Henry said. “Preparing sites before industry calls gives Louisiana a competitive advantage, and because these funds revolve back into future projects, this becomes a long-term tool for sustainable growth.”

House Speaker Phillip DeVillier said the program is meant to catch Louisiana up with other states that have been investing in site readiness for years.

“Across the country, states are investing in site readiness to attract major projects,” DeVillier said. “For too long, Louisiana has been behind the game, but FastSites changes that by not only getting us in the game, but leading it through a smart approach. This program ensures Louisiana can compete and win the projects that create jobs for our people.”

Focus On Being “Project-Ready”

Economic development officials say a central goal of FastSites is to reduce the time and uncertainty companies face when choosing where to build large projects. Site readiness, a term often used in economic development, refers to locations that already have key infrastructure, permitting work, and technical studies in place so companies can move more quickly from planning to construction.

“In today’s environment, if utilities, rail, roads or due diligence aren’t in place, companies simply move on,” Louisiana Economic Development (LED) Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois said. “FastSites allows us to eliminate those barriers in advance and present Louisiana as truly project-ready.”

Landon Lemoine, LED’s director of strategic investments, said the program is meant to treat site preparation more like long-term capital investment than short-term spending.

“Nationally competitive states treat site readiness as a capital strategy, not a grant program,” Lemoine said. “FastSites is structured to protect taxpayer dollars while giving Louisiana the speed, certainty and credibility required to compete for multi-billion-dollar projects. By revolving capital back into the fund, we are building a disciplined, long-term asset portfolio that strengthens our position in front of developers, site selectors and the finance community.”

Competing For Advanced Manufacturing And Energy Innovation

State leaders are positioning FastSites as a tool to attract “high-impact, nationally sought-after projects,” particularly in advanced manufacturing, logistics, energy innovation, and emerging industries. Those sectors often require large industrial sites with heavy infrastructure needs and fast timelines, conditions that can be difficult to meet without upfront planning and investment.

By assembling a statewide portfolio of vetted, infrastructure-ready industrial locations, Louisiana aims to increase its chances of landing major manufacturing plants, energy facilities, and logistics hubs that bring significant capital investment and long-term jobs.

While specific project announcements have not been made, officials say the first 19 sites will serve as the foundation for a long-term pipeline.

Next Steps And Funding Details

Additional site-specific announcements, including individual funding amounts, will be released as Cooperative Endeavor Agreements are completed over the next six months. Those agreements will outline how the state, local governments, and other partners will coordinate on site preparation and investment.

More information about the program is available at OpportunityLouisiana.com/FastSites.

As the FastSites initiative moves forward, Louisiana officials say they expect the revolving nature of the fund to expand the number of development-ready locations over time, turning one round of investments into a continuing cycle of industrial site preparation across the state.