The Manatee County Port Authority accepted new master plan concepts at its Feb. 21st meeting presented by consultants after 17 months of work.
The concepts include four alternatives with a maximum build out by 2038 projected to cost nearly $500 million. Funding for the master plan alternatives was not considered during the presentation, but it is expected to come from a combination of port revenues, state grants and public private partnerships.
Highlights of the master plan presentation included the construction of a northern harbor feature, which includes Berths 1, 2 and 3 with a clear emphasis on preserving the port’s existing customer base while optimizing its potential in containerization.
PBS&J, the lead consultant for the master plan, emphasized a critical timeline centered around the expansion of the Panama Canal. Other driving forces include the activation of the proposed Port Manatee Encouragement Zone in 2008; the completion in 2011 of the I-75 Connector Road PD&E study; the completion of the CSX Intermodal Logistics Center near Winter Haven, Fla. in 2012; all punctuated by the projected completion of the Panama Canal Expansion in 2014.