Container Facility Again Sought for North Spit, Sept. 2

Coos Bay, OR – The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay announced Wednesday, Sept 1, that it has partnered with NorthPoint Development, a development firm based in Riverside, MO, to construct a multimodal container facility on the North Spit. The Port and NorthPoint have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the project, with the intention of finalizing negotiations and signing a contract by the end of the calendar year. NorthPoint and the Port estimate that the facility, once fully constructed, will move over one million forty-foot containers annually in and outbound through the Port of Coos Bay via the Coos Bay Rail Line. The rail spur on the North Spit will be extended to the project site and infrastructure improvements throughout the line will be completed to accommodate double stack container movements. It is anticipated that construction of this facility will support approximately 500 short-term construction jobs and up to 250 permanent, full-time family wage jobs. “I applaud the Port of Coos Bay and NorthPoint for partnering on the North Spit project,” said Representative Peter DeFazio. “This project will create hundreds of good-paying jobs on Oregon’s coast, which will boost Coos Bay’s local economy and provide needed support to rebuild the economic base for the region. I recently secured $32 million in the 2022 funding bill to support maintenance and improvements of the Coos Bay North Jetty. The more than $50 million I worked to obtain for the purchase and rehabilitation of the Coos Bay rail line also helped to make this possible. As Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I will continue to do everything within my power to support Oregon’s ports so that they remain competitive and continue to support our coastal economy.” Construction of the facility and railroad improvements will result in a significant investment in the community and are currently an estimated $1 Billion. “With the recent closure of the Georgia Pacific Mill and other recent job loss in southwestern Oregon, the Port sees this as an opportunity to rebuild the economic base for the region,” said John Burns, Port CEO. “This is a project that has the potential to diversify the region’s economy and create employment opportunities both for the existing workforce and for future generations.” According to the Oregon Employment Department, Coos County has lost approximately 1,160 payroll jobs from the first quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021. Congestion at major west coast ports has continued to worsen for decades, creating bottlenecks that slow the movement of goods and increase greenhouse gas emissions. NorthPoint views the Coos Bay harbor as an opportunity to create an environmentally conscious, state of the art gateway which will alleviate congestion throughout the west coast and improve the movement of goods in and out of the United States and international markets. “The Coos Bay Harbor offers an innovative solution to an ever-growing challenge,” said Chad Meyer, President and Founding Partner of NorthPoint. “We have an opportunity to enhance the economy of the region while improving the logistics system as a whole.” The new terminal will promote expedited turn time and eliminate anchoring for maritime vessels, a shipping option greatly needed in the marketplace. As of Sunday August 29th, the ports of L.A. and Long Beach had 47 vessels anchored offshore waiting to berth. Anchored vessels add significant costs in shipping, delays in product delivery and increased greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, the majority of imports and exports moving in and out of Oregon travel by truck via the ports of Seattle/Tacoma and Oakland. This adds to the total delivered cost of products and commodities, roadway congestion, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. Utilizing the Coos Bay Rail Line to transport containers instead of trucks will reduce overall emissions up to seventy-five percent. The Port also continues work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other regulatory agencies on the Channel Modification Project. This project will deepen and widen the federally authorized channel from -37’ to -45’ Mean Lowest Low Water (MLLW) and 300’ to 450’ nominal width. Deepening and widening the channel is necessary for the Port to remain competitive in the global marketplace as ocean carriers continue to utilize larger ships, a trend that has continued for well over a half century.