Posted on November 10, 2015
Governor Tom Wolf has announced his strategic plan for sustained management, maintenance, and development of the Port of Philadelphia. The governor emphasized his key priorities of investing in infrastructure, creating jobs, and keeping Pennsylvania economically competitive.
“Today is a new day at the Port of Philadelphia,” Gov Wolf said. “Our port has a strategic location on the East Coast, but its infrastructure is rapidly aging. I am committed to ensuring the commonwealth is a strong partner with the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority so that this vital resource remains competitive on a global scale.”
The governor outlined his plan while standing on an undeveloped parcel of the Southport Marine Terminal Complex, located at the eastern tip of the Navy Yard. He was joined by Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) Chairman Jerry Sweeney, Lieutenant Governor Mike Stack, Senator Larry Farnese, Representative Bill Keller, and dozens of marine stakeholders.
“This is a wonderful day for the Port of Philadelphia,” Sweeney said. “Southport is the future of the Port of Philadelphia, and to have Governor Wolf personally visit the Port and endorse this critical project that will bring so many jobs and other economic benefits to our region is very exciting and a testament to the hard work by the thousands of men and women who work in this port every day.”
“The ports are a valuable asset for the entire region and state of Pennsylvania,” Lt Gov Stack said. “To make the most of their potential, we need a comprehensive plan for how we can best use them to expand our economy and increase jobs, and we must follow up with a cooperative effort to carry out that vision.”
Governor Wolf said development of the Southport Terminal is one of his main goals for the Port of Philadelphia. The 196-acre riverfront property is owned by PRPA, located immediately west of the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal. It remains idle and undeveloped, but is currently undergoing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), with a Request for Proposals (RFP) process expected to begin in 2016. The goal is to enable the market-driven development of Southport Terminal in 2017, creating up to 3,700 new jobs.
“Investing in this additional tract of developable land will have a significant impact on our ability to attract new business to Pennsylvania, increase the amount of available family-sustaining jobs, and grow our competitiveness as a major port in the region,” Senator Farnese said.
“The people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will certainly appreciate Governor Wolf’s important investment in job growth in southeastern Pennsylvania, and I applaud his leadership in improving the lives of commonwealth residents,” Rep Keller said.
In addition to establishing a timeline for the development of the Southport site, Governor Wolf announced further steps his administration is taking to ensure long-term stability and growth at the Port of Philadelphia.
