On Tuesday 22 Nov., Gov. Wolf announced a $300 million capital investment to existing terminals and operations at the Philadelphia port aimed at doubling container cargo capacity and creating about 2,000 more direct port jobs.
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, a state agency, approved the plan to add $200 million in improvements at Packer Avenue Marine Terminal in South Philadelphia, including four new electric "post-Panamax" container cranes. Another $12 million will be invested at Tioga Marine Terminal in Port Richmond, and $90 million to expand automobile processing, currently at Oregon Avenue and Columbus Boulevard.
The port authority suspended the bid process for the 195 vacant acres on the Delaware River, known as Southport.
Five of the six original groups "short listed" in January to present financial and development plans have dropped out.
The state decided instead to improve and modernize existing port operations. Both the Packer Avenue and Tioga terminals were built in the late 1960s. Acreage at Southport will be used for automobile processing and to handle additional cargo containers at the port. Autos will continue to arrive on ships at Packer terminal and a new location, Pier 122, on the Delaware River.
