The new PhilaPort Distribution Center will fuel the next phase of development for one of the fastest-growing ports in America, according to a company statement.
[s2If is_user_logged_in()]Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and senior PhilaPort leadership participated on 4 March in a groundbreaking ceremony for the new near-dock warehouse.
“In the plan to grow the Port of Philadelphia as rapidly as possible, this new warehouse is a critical component,” said Governor Tom Wolf, who went on to add, “As a result of our infrastructure improvements, the same large ships that have been calling neighboring ports can now call the Port of Philadelphia.”
PhilaPort’s facility is expected to continue to propel growth, according to a statement, while last year, the port handled a record 640,000TEU, achieving 7% growth during the global pandemic period. In the meantime, compound annual growth over the past 10 years has been 10%, according to PhilaPort data.
PhilaPort believes that the US$42 million, 18,731m² building is a critical step in the development of the Port’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, which is the region’s main container terminal. The port noted that the new food grade warehouse is 1.6km from the marine terminal and will help attract new shippers and ocean lines.
“We will leverage this building to bring new ocean carrier services to Philadelphia, and to bring major new beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) to our port,” said PhilaPort executive director and CEO, Jeff Theobald. “Our proximity to the Lehigh Valley and other major distribution center hubs cannot be overstated. But for some shippers, the need for near dock warehousing like the PhilaPort Distribution Center is critical,” he added.
The New Jersey-based Holt Logistics Corp. will be the operator of the new building, which will serve as a major adjunct to the container operations at Packer Avenue Marine Terminal. This new warehouse will allow the Holt organisation to get containers off the terminal and rapidly unload them into the facility. Boxes can then be returned directly to the marine terminal or moved to a Pennsylvania factory to be loaded with exports, further expanding opportunities for local and regional commerce.
PhilaPort chairman Jerry Sweeney commented, “We have spent the last few years building the Port’s ship-side infrastructure – berths, cranes, terminal reconfiguration – now it is exciting to see the Port’s newest phase commence.”
A planned second phase for the development of this site includes a 20,000m² refrigerated building, which will make it a multi-purpose facility. The Port Authority is also planning road and rail improvements, again designed to increase cargo velocity to the final customer.
Finally, PhilaPort is planning densification improvements to the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal – terminal reconfigurations that will allow more container moves per acre per year.
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