Governor of Pennsylvania (USA), Tom Wolft, has announced the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) has developed a shortlist of potential developers for the Southport Marine Terminal Complex at the Port of Philadelphia. 

Located in the City of Philadelphia, along the Delaware River, the project involves the design, build, finance, operation and maintenance one or more industrial or commercial development activities and all related facilities on one or more of the three available sites at the Southport Marine Terminal Complex. The 3 sites located at the Southport Marine Terminal Complex are:

• The Southport Marine Terminal site 1 consists of approximately 119 acres and is currently permitted for construction and operation as a container terminal. PRPA will consider any and all uses for one or more of the Southport sites or any portion.

• The Southport West Terminal site 2 is a parcel of land consisting of approximately 75 acres and is available for development. It is available for development such as a distribution center, manufacturing site, cross-docking facility, or automobile logistics center.

• Pier 124 site 3 is a 1,132-foot long by 167-foot wide finger pier. Piers 122 and 124 are being refurbished into multi-purpose bulk facilities, able to handle grains, fertilizers, wood products and other bulk cargos. Pier 124 North is available for development as part of the scope of the project.

The announced shortlist for the development of the complex includes the following groups:

• CenterPoint Properties Trust (site 1, 2, and 3) - an investment firm focused on the industrial sector
• Philadelphia Energy Solutions (site 1, 2, and 3) - a local refinery company
• Southport Development Partners (site 1, 2, and 3) - a team of Penn City Investments, Morgan Stanley, and OHL Infrastructure
• Liberty Property Trust (site 1, 2, and 3) - a local real estate development company
• USD Group, LLC (site 2 and 3) - an operator of logistics terminals

The second phase of the procurement, the Request for Proposals (RFP) phase, will occur within the coming weeks. The submission of proposals is anticipated in summer 2016, with developer selection to follow thereafter, and construction is anticipated to begin in 2017.

Governor Wolf said:

"This announcement represents a vital step in our plan to ensure a timely and responsible development of the Southport Marine Terminal, My administration is committed to working with the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority to invest in our infrastructure, bring key jobs to the region, and keep Pennsylvania's economy competitive on a global scale."

PRPA chairman Jerry Sweeney commented:

"Selecting these shortlists marks the latest exciting development in this project, and clearly illustrates the commitment of PRPA's board, staff, and advisors to get this project done. Between this commitment, and the quality of the respondents and their innovative solutions, Southport is no longer a distant project on the horizon.  It's something that's going to happen soon, to the great benefit of Philadelphia's working waterfront and our regional economy."

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.