PRPA has shortlist of developers for Southport Marine Terminal Complex
Article continues below
Pennsylvania has delegated a total of over $300 million to the Port.
The shortlisted respondents for the Southport Marine Terminal (Site 1) are:
CenterPoint Properties Trust
Liberty Consortium
Philadelphia Energy Solutions, LLC
Southport Development Partners
The shortlisted respondents for the Southport West Terminal (Site 2) are:
CenterPoint Properties Trust
Liberty Property Trust
Philadelphia Energy Solutions, LLC
Southport Development Partners
USD Group, LLC
The first phase of procurement began in September 2015 with the release of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ). Following an evaluation of the respondents’ conceptual development plans and technical and financial qualifications, PRPA’s Board of Directors unanimously voted to shortlist 4 teams to bid on Site 1 and 5 teams to bid on Site 2.
The second phase of the procurement, the Request for Proposals (RFP) phase, will occur within the coming weeks. The next steps for the project include stakeholder and industry outreach meetings, preliminary meetings with the shortlisted respondents and release of the RFP, which will include proposal requirements and terms and conditions for project development.
The submission of proposals is anticipated in summer 2016, with developer selection to follow thereafter, and construction is anticipated to begin in 2017.
The commonwealth has a proven track record of investments at the Port of Philadelphia, including $25 million per year on maintenance alone. Since 2010, Pennsylvania has delegated a total of over $300 million to the Port.
The Port of Philadelphia has sustained substantial growth over the past five years with container cargo leading the way. Also the Port is strong in non-containerized cargoes, such as fruits, vegetables, cocoa beans, forest products and aggregates.
It has considerable refrigerated and freezer warehousing space as close as 90 feet from the dock, allowing for handling of temperature-sensitive cargoes.
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charged with the management, maintenance, marketing, and promotion of publicly-owned port facilities along the Delaware River in Philadelphia, as well as strategic planning throughout the port district. ■