One of Floridas smaller ports, one that has few commercial prospects currently lined up in anticipation of the expansion of the Panama Canal and gets little federal recognition, the Port of Fort Pierces future may now rest with an anticipated four-month study by the state Department of Transportation.
The study is to determine if the small port, which is mostly held by private ownership, has the potential to be designated a Strategic Intermodal System facility, which could mean additional economic cargo opportunities available as the state braces for an expected increase in maritime traffic from the widening of the Panama Canal in 2014.
The Treasure Coast port, which includes a historic downtown district and limited commercial exports, has potential, says Ken Roberts, with the Indian River Terminal Co., which operates the northern St. Lucie County port.
The lack of federal funding is a sticking point for the port, which has been designated an inactive port by federal agencies.
Meanwhile, St. Lucie County has been exploring the options for the 87-acre port, of which just 20 acres are publicly owned and another 12 acres are in the hands of the Indian River Terminal.
The Port of Fort Pierce
Located nearly 50 miles north of the Port of Palm Beach.
The deepwater port was established in 1837 during the Second Seminole Indian War, with the major industries of fishing, fishprocessing, citrus fruits and pineapples.At one time, the port was the main thoroughfare for grapefruit-exporting to Europe and the Far East.
The Port of Fort Pierce City Marina, fronting the Indian River Lagoon, offers 284 slips.
Cargo
Approximately 358,000 tons of cargo pass through Indian River Terminal annually. By comparison, the Port of Miami handles nearly 7.39 million tons a year, while the Port of Palm Beach deals with 2.55 million tons a year.
Nearly all of the containers -- providing basic supplies -- go to the Bahamas and Caribbean islands, primarily Freeport, Grand Bahama; Providenciales; Turks and Caicos; and Nassau.
Top imports include aragonite and cement.
Cruise: None.
History
1918: The Florida Legislature established the Port of Fort Pierce Inlet District to fund construction and operation of a new inlet between the Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean.
1921: The current inlet was dredged.
1935: The harbor was authorized as a federal project and was completed by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1938.
1940s: The federal government used the Port of Fort Pierce for an amphibious training base.
1947: The Florida Legislature abolished the Inlet District, replacing it with the Port of Fort Pierce Port Authority.
1961: The Legislature created the Fort Pierce Port and Airport Authority to operate under the auspices of St. Lucie County.
1988: Florida law created the St. Lucie County Port and Airport Authority.
1996: St. Lucie County purchased about 8 hectares of waterfront property, called Harbour Pointe,for tourism, recreational, and marine commercial uses. The county also operates a public boat ramp in the southern port area.
1998: The Legislature dissolved the Port and Airport authority, transferring its holdings and responsibilities to the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie County to operate and manage the Port of Fort Pierce.
Seven questions with Ken Roberts of Indian River Terminal, which runs the Port of Fort Pierce:
SSN: Where does the Port of Fort Pierce view itself in the footprint of Gov. Scotts dream to attract more growth from the Panama Canal expansion?
Roberts: This port sees growth potential in its future, not as a large container port but as a niche port serving nearby markets in the Bahamas and Caribbean area, in short sea shipping opportunities along East Coast port cities, and for feeder services to and from large global vessels docking at Freeport, Grand Bahama, after or before transiting the expanded Panama Canal.
SSN: What is the desired growth in the next five to 20 years for the port?
Roberts: The Port of Fort Pierce, in its current context, handles 300,000 to 450,000 tons of cargo per year. It expects to handle 900,000 to 1 million tons, or more, within five years. Beyond that, with improved facilities and capacities, but without significant expanded acreage, it foresees possibly doubling those targets within 10 years. Beyond that time frame, more land will be needed for port expansion. Such expansion can occur side by side with recreational activity such as yachts and mega-yachts without being detrimental to environmental issues or encroaching on residential areas.
SSN: What will it take to reach this point?
Roberts: The priority critical need is for restored maintenance dredging by the Army Corps of Engineers of the Fort Pierce Inlet and turning basin to provide navigation at the authorized depths of 28 and 30 feet of water, as opposed to the current depths in certain spots of about 21 feet.
The next requirement will be repairs to about 870 feet ofdock seawalls. The third need will be demolition of old buildings and subsequent paving ofexposed open land areas in secure port lands."
SSN: What ports and entities are offering the most competition to attract trade?
Roberts: Ports of Florida in Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale offer some competition to Fort Pierce, but not of great significance because of lower operating costs at Fort Pierce.
Intermodal connection possibilities at Fort Pierce between air, rail, Interstate 95 and the Florida Turnpike, all within minutes of the port, offer connection potentials that are much easier to accomplish than is the case at other nearby Florida ports.
SSN: What is Florida doing to counter this competition?
Roberts: While the competition is not of great significance, Florida needs to take note of the potentials available at the Port of Fort Pierce to provide feeder service to and from Freeport, Grand Bahama, for the Wal-Mart Distribution Center at Fort Pierce, for other shippers from the Fort Pierce area to global markets served by cargo vessels calling at Freeports deepwater, international port, and for short sea shipping along the East Coast of the U.S. that will take heavy traffic off landside highways.
SSN: Who are the biggest champions of the Port of Fort Pierce?
Roberts: Modest-scale shippers transiting to the Bahamas and Caribbean areas; truckers who can avoid congestion in ports further south; suppliers to the north who need to ship to the islands or other nearby areas of North and Central America; utilities that bring in oversized and overweight equipment and machinery that needs immediate access to rail and highway transportation; and customers in the islands who receive rapid and less expensive shipping services.
SSN: What and who are some of the biggest hurdles facing the ports expansion?
Roberts: The lack of maintenance dredging of the inlet and harbor areas, the lack of funding from federal sources for dredging and port development, the fact that the Port of Fort Pierce in the recent past has been designated as an inactive port by federal agencies, and lack of availability of adjacent open land.
The first installment of this series: "Port Canaveral Bulking Cargo and Cruise Passengers" can be found here.
The second: "Port Backers Offer Vision to Make Florida the Global Hub" can be found here.
The third: "Gateway to the Caribbean Seeks Inland Expansion" can be found here.
The fourth: "Port of Miami is Digging for Growth" can be found here.
The fifth: "Key West: Port of Cruises" can be found here.
The sixth: "Port of Fernandina Looking Inland" can be found here.
The seventh: "Port of Pensacola Aims to Increase Cargo Handling" can be found here.
(This is the eighth in a weekly series with port directors in Florida.)
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
