Thursday’s announcement of a $100 million multi-purpose motorsports racing facility planned off Interstate 55 near Kentwood,La., is expected to have a significant positive impact on the localarea, economic development officials say.

Louisiana International Speedway, which could host NASCAR,National Hot Rod Association and International Hot Boat Associationevents, is expected to be completed in the fall of 2008. Concerts,festivals and other events are also part of the plans for thefacility.

“This will be huge for us,” said Cliff Brumfield, executive vicepresident of the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce.”The race track combined with the recreational opportunities atLake Okhissa and Lake Lincoln make Brookhaven strategically locatedto capitalize on travelers stopping and shopping here.”

Events held at similar NASCAR tracks across the nation typicallyfill a majority of hotels within a two-hour drive of the trackduring the week of a race. Kentwood is slightly more than an hour’stravel from Brookhaven, Brumfield said.

The impact of travelers stopping at restaurants, hotels and gasstations or shopping at car dealerships and Brookhaven’s manyspecialty shops could provide a significant boost to the localeconomy, he said.

“Brookhaven’s sizable specialty retail market is already astrong draw for communities from Jackson south,” Brumfield said.”The new track and Lake Okhissa’s opening can only strengthen ourposition as a destination shopping center.”

The 1,500-acre parcel of land in Tangipahoa Parish immediatelywest of Interstate 55 will feature a one-mile oval asphalt pavedtrack, quarter-mile drag strip and drag boat racing courses.

Construction on the track is expected to begin this summer, saidJerry Lowrie, a California developer who is president and founderof the track, in a news release.

“We have been working on this project for a couple of years andafter doing a considerable amount of research we have concludedthat this part of the country is an excellent location for thistype of sports facility,” he said.

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, in conjunction withLouisiana Economic Development and Lowrie, announced the planThursday.

“I am very pleased to welcome a sports facility of this caliberto Louisiana,” Blanco said. “This facility will not only createjobs and host world class motor sports events – it couldpotentially double as a disaster relief location. A race track isessentially a self-contained city with its own power source,medical center and security force and we look forward to thisvaluable asset in the future.”

The project is expected to generate between 600 and 800jobs.