Facility Development: Philadelphia, Puerto Rico

The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) received 16 responses to its Request for Expressions of Interest in developing three waterfront parcels collectively known as the Southport complex. The REI was issued October 1, with a due date of November 14.

The sites include: the Southport Marine Terminal (119 acres); the Southport West Terminal (75 acres); and the Pier 124 North Berth, a 1,132 foot long finger pier. PRPA has already completed substantial pre-development work, especially access improvement, at the three facilities.

The respondents submitted proposals for one or more of the three Southport sites, with all three sites receiving multiple expressions of interest. Respondents included: Atlantic Realty, Global Auto Processing Services (GAPS), Katoen Natie Group, Liberty Property Trust, MarkWest Energy Partners, OHL Infrastructure, Inc., Philadelphia Energy Solutions, Walsh Construction, Anthony Bruttaniti (representing the Philadelphia Global Trade Center, LLC), Holt Logistics Corporation, Liberty Energy Trust, LNG America, Navigator Gas LLC, Penn City Investments & Affiliated Companies, T. Parker Host, and WesPac Midstream LLC.

PRPA will evaluate the responses and making recommendations to the port authority board, which will make the final selection of a company or companies to develop and operate the Southport sites.

"Unlike most other U.S. ports, which face major limitations when seeking additional land to grow, the Port of Philadelphia has hundreds of acres of prime space along the Delaware River to expand our operations," said PRPA Chairman Charles G. Kopp. "Our hope is that the current Southport initiative will bring about a partnership between PRPA and one or more private firms to fulfill our potential for expansion and economic growth. These quality responses bring us a major step closer to turning that potential into reality."

Puerto Rico to Expand San Juan Cruise Facility to Accommodate Megaships

San Juan’s busy cruise port.
Photo/Puerto Rico Ports Authority

Puerto Rico will invest $8.7 million for the expansion of Cruise Dock #3 in the Port of San Juan to allow the berthing of cruise ships with accommodations for more than 6,000 passengers, Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla announced earlier this month.

"This is one more piece of our economic development plan," said the governor. "We estimate that with the arrival of Quantum of the Seas and even larger ships, the economic impact of the visits of these mega cruise ships will exceed $300 million during the next 10 years."

Royal Caribbean and its affiliates have preferential use of Dock #3, which is located in the historic downtown area of San Juan and used mainly by vessels on port of call visits.

"These passengers literally pass by the coast of Puerto Rico because they are unable to dock here," he continued. "My administration is taking the appropriate corrective action. Accordingly, this is the most important project in decades directed at developing Puerto Rico’s cruise ship market, with the potential of increasing the numbers of passengers who visit us by hundreds of thousands."

The project includes construction of a concrete platform and creating a berth and supporting structure with a 182-foot dock extension. Other construction will include a baggage screening facility and other necessary engineering features. This phase of the construction will create 135 direct jobs and inject $13 million annually into the Puerto Rican economy, according to the governor’s press statement.

"Maintaining our position as a leading cruise port in the region is a fundamental part of our tourism strategy," declared the governor, who went on to note that so far this year, cruise ship visits have contributed $150 million to the economy of Puerto Rico.

Beginning December 4, Royal Caribbean’s new 4,900-passenger Quantum of the Seas is scheduled to call San Juan nine times during the 2014-15 cruise season, bringing an estimated 33,000 passengers and creating 130 indirect jobs, according to data cited by the governor’s office.

Cruise Passenger Dock #3, the second dock from the right, will be upgraded to receive mega cruise ships at a cost of approximately $8.7 million.
Photo/Puerto Rico Ports Authority.

American Association of Port Authorities
Asociación Americana de Autoridades Portuarias
1201 Maryland Ave SW, Suite 860, Washington, D.C. 20024
E: info@aapa-ports.org
W: www.aapa-ports.org