The municipality of Emerson-Franklin wants to have some input on how crown land near the Emerson port of entry will be developed in the future.

The province plans to re-design and re-align the northbound and southbound lanes of PTH 75 leading in and out of the Pembina-Emerson Ports of Entry. The highway re-design will accommodate the expansion of both the Canadian and American ports of entry that are planned.

Tracy French, CAO for the municipality says those alterations will result in the creation of surplus crown lands that would have significant commercial value along the busy highway.

"The municipality would like to look at private investment into the area and think that there might be an opportunity for some of the surplus lands to be used for that purpose."

French says the municipality would like to collaborate with the various provincial government departments and private interests to come up with a development plan for those surplus crown lands.

"Council feels it's important a feasibility study be conducted with respect to the impact of PTH 75, to be able to identify some of the servicing capacity requirements for the area and potential for land development," said French.

The municipality is working on a proposal outlining a collaborative planning process that they hope to submit to the provincial government later this month.

There is a sense of urgency in completing a feasibility study before work is finished on the expansion of the border facilities. According to French, the surplus lands, if developed properly, could be a real economic driver for their municipality.

"It definitely could, and for a municipality our size a project like this could have considerable positive impacts on the economic development of the area."