The Port of Paulsboro
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In a push to adapt and reposition itself in a global 21st
century economy, the South Jersey Port Corporation and the Gloucester County
Improvement Authority are re-outfitting a closed industrial site to create a multimodal
port in Southern New Jersey. This report
analyzes existing conditions at the port site and explores how infrastructure
improvements contribute to the port’s productive advantage.
Because of contamination at an old oil storage and
distribution facility, BP cheaply leased their property to the Borough of Paulsboro
as the site to develop a marine port facility.
Benefiting from a strategic location along the Delaware River, the port inherits
centuries of accumulated infrastructure surrounding it. An existing marine channel backbones the
site, while Shortline and Class 1 railroads and an interstate highway connect
the marine terminal to the American hinterland.
Investments in infrastructure that support freight movement
will facilitate port operations and further promote commerce in the
region. Major stimulus begins with remediation
of industrial land and the construction of the new marine terminal, but
additional improvements enhance the Port of Paulsboro’s connectivity. Track expansions in Paulsboro and in the region
add to the rail network’s reach. A new Freight as a Good Neighbor access road
allows trucks to avoid residential neighborhoods when connecting from the port
to the interstate highway. And the Missing Moves Project seeks to alleviate
bottleneck congestion along the regional truck corridor.
With a large tract of land, Paulsboro also offers
customizable co-location opportunities that allow for value-added distribution
or manufacturing on site. This becomes
especially important since the port is positioned to handle specialty
cargo. Combined with unique multimodal
access, this flexibility gives the port a competitive edge in handling and
processing heavy steel plates for offshore wind turbines. Reaping the benefits of these productive
advantages, the port expects to create 2,500 jobs, while the offshore wind
industry will employ an additional 2,000 workers. In total, employment multipliers predict the
port to support 20,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Other redeveloped brownfield sites at Keystone Industrial
Port Complex in Bucks County and the less-than-effective iPort12 distribution
center in Carteret further emphasize the requisite formula for developing a new
port – it all depends on improving existing freight networks. Successful brownfield redevelopment projects
leverage cheap land with extensive infrastructure networks to create hubs where
port functions and value-added industrial services support one another. Cohabitation provides a productive advantage
that attracts new industrial activity and creates jobs. Following this proven development model, the
Port of Paulsboro capitalizes on its inherent advantages as it revives an old
industrial hub in South Jersey.
The Report
Below is the report on the development practices of the Port of Paulsboro. Click the first slide to enlarge, then scroll.
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