Highlights: The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority
“Hwy H2O HIGHLIGHTS†focuses on our member ports and companies throughout the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System with stories that highlight innovative and interesting cargo movements; changes and improvements that ports and companies are making to create greater opportunity, and/or member insights on the latest market trends.
Highlights: The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority
It was another busy year for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority’s project managers, grant managers and administrative staff while the Port of Toledo continued to make major progress in its Port Modernization Program in concert with several major economic development projects in the community.
At the General Cargo Facility operated by Midwest Terminals, over $985,000 was invested to reconfigure the entrance of the facility. The new entrance integrates a truck scale and allows for two lanes of entry and exit from the facility. A new guard house and camera systems were constructed to enhance security at the site.
The second phase of construction at the new Ironville Dock operated by Midwest Terminals was completed during 2012 and the rail loop, which was completed during the first phase of construction, began to be utilized. Two million dollars were invested in construction of the dock wall and dredging during 2012. The third phase of construction to be completed in 2013 will introduce bulk material handling infrastructure to the site.
At the Toledo Shipyard operated by Ironhead Marine, over $897,000 was invested to construct a new guard house and improve lighting and fencing at the facility. In addition to the security enhancements, over $668,000 was invested to reconstruct the dock wall in the area between the large 805 foot and smaller 550 foot graving docks.
Since 2008, the Toledo-Lucas Port Authority has been involved in the acquisition of environmentally challenged real estate located in Lucas County, Ohio.  Through the leveraging of partnerships with the State of Ohio and the federal government, the Port has been successful in acquiring, remediating and redeveloping more than 350 acres of land. In 2010, the Port acquired 111 acres of land that had been historically used for the production of automobiles located at 1000 Jeep Parkway in Toledo. The Port has been successful in acquiring more than $8 million in grant funds for the site’s redevelopment. The redevelopment of the site has been broken into three phases. The first phase of redevelopment involved the remediation of environmental issues on site. The second phase of redevelopment completed in 2012, involved the removal of foundations and the fill and grading of several portions of the site. Over $2 million dollars were invested for phase two construction of the site during 2012. The final phase of redevelopment is the vertical construction of facilities on the site. In 2012 the Port announced a partnership agreement with Harmon Family Development Corporation to do site and infrastructure planning on the 111 acre property known as Overland Industrial Park.
You can tour the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority virtually by simply visiting tourtheport.com. The clever website gives you the option to get a closer look at the various terminals at the port including the option to zoom in on specific areas. Tourthport.com was the recipient of the AAPA 2012 Communications Award of Excellence.
To share your story; email it to hwyh2o@seaway.ca and we will consider it for future Hwy H2O Highlights.