12:28 AM CST on Wednesday, November 30, 2005

By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA-TV

Collin County's big boom may have some competition with Dallas County's southern sector, which is taking off with new businesses, homes and jobs.

Eighty percent of the developable land in the city of Dallas runs along Interstate 20 between U.S. Highway 67 and Interstate 45.

That makes the once-sleepy section of Dallas County the area to answer the wake-up call of opportunity.

Earth movers and pavement presses will soon shape a 4,500 acre industrial park just west of Wilmer and Hutchins.

Allan Clarke, who owns the Lucky 777 convenience store is banking on the developments.

"More people [means] more business," Clarke said.

Developers outlined plans for the Dallas Logistics Hub at the Greater Dallas Chamber's day-long Southern Sector Forum.

"Clearly, South Dallas is a high unemployment area," said developer Allan Clarke. "Individuals that are looking for major distribution hubs want to be able to hire good, local, quality workforce and that exists there."

Fed-Ex has hired hundreds to handle sorting millions of packages between the railroad track and Interstate 45.

There is no other place in the country where more interstate freeways come together in one place.

The development moves toward marketing Southern Dallas as an inland port where goods move among railways, roadways and airways.

A $5.5 million dollar new terminal at Dallas Executive Airport is almost ready.

"And a lot of the land in the northern sectors of the Dallas Fort Worth market are running out," Clarke said. "So obviously, it's just a natural progression that development needs to move to the south."

E-mail bhawkins@wfaa.com