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The Port Authority and Midwest Terminals also shared their joint future plans for Ironville which include three phases of development focused on using the 71 acres of waterfront property for material delivery and handling to support a new manufacturing base located on the 110 acre balance of the property. The flexible waterfront property at Ironville will also have the ability to receive bulk materials and will support and receive goods for other manufacturing operations throughout the region.
Since 2008, the Port Authority has sought funding for the redevelopment of Ironville. In addition to the $5 million Jobs Ready Sites Grant (JRS) Funding, Ironville Terminal also benefits from $7.4 million in grant funding via a State of Ohio Logistics and Distribution Stimulus (LDS) grant and a $3.1 million award from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) is currently pending. The awards are unique as several local entities partnered on each application to ensure our region had the best chance in receiving each award.
“The development of Ironville Terminal has received a tremendous amount of support – due mostly to the incredible potential this property has for commerce and job development,” says Paul Toth, President and CEO of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. “This public/private partnership is possible not only due to the vast amounts of grant funding, but specifically to our private partners, Midwest Terminals of Toledo, who will invest nearly $5 million into the development of this property when complete. Without this strong partnership, we would not be able to create these future jobs for our community or this new development opportunity for our region.”
Phase One utilizes the JRS funding for the rail installation. Phase Two will involve improvements to the dock face, dredging and associated site work and is funded through both the EDA and LDS sources. The final phase, Phase Three, is focused on the installation of bulk material handling and conveyor infrastructure and will utilize the remaining LDS funds. It is anticipated that the implementation of all three grants will be complete by 2014.
Ironville Terminal is currently in Phase One – Rail Installation. The JRS grant funding reduced the planned development window by seven years and this was the first time that Lucas County received a JRS award. Approximately 7,200 linear feet of rail and eight switches will be installed when Phase One is complete later this year or early 2012. The Port Authority owned rail line connects with the nearby Norfolk Southern rail line.
Phase Two includes improvements of the river channel and shoreline to prepare a deep water marine dock to accommodate barges and lake trading and ocean vessels. Underwater structures, thought to be wood and concrete piers will be removed to provide riverfront access. These structures are located along the dock face just off the existing shoreline. Approximately 65,000 cubic yards of sediment will be dredged to provide access the dock face and 520 feet of the existing dock face will be improved. Nineteen acres of the site will be paved for lay down areas associated with dock and rail.
Phase Three plans include the installation of a multi-modal delivery system. The conveyor and material transfer systems creates efficiencies through rapid freight loading and unloading and is capable of handling any dry bulk material. The material handling by conveyor system includes the components required to load and off load vessels. Self unloading ships will discharge into a 500 cubic yard hopper which will feed the conveying system. The hopper discharge will also be capable of loading rail cars on the outer loop track.
The 2008 $5 million JRS grant application was a partnership with Lucas County, the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, the Lucas County Improvement Corporation (LCIC), the City of Toledo and Midwest Terminals of Toledo, Inc. with the county being the official applicant and recipient of the funds. In 2009, the Lucas County Improvement Corporation (LCIC) applied for and was awarded $7.5 million in the form of a Logistics and Distribution Stimulus (LDS) loan, which can be forgiven upon attainment of specific terms, from the Ohio Department of Development. Finally, the Port Authority has applied for and completed the majority of the process to receive a $3.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration. All of these grants required significant matches, which came in the form of privately invested funds from Midwest Terminals of Toledo.
DGL & Associates is providing architectural and engineering services to implement the grant awards and the consultants and contractors for Phase One include AME Technologies, Bowser Morner, Deitering Landscaping, Hull & Associates, Mannik & Smith, MDA Engineering, Miller Brothers Construction, Inc., Northwest Consultants, Timiny Railroad Construction, Toledo Fence and Viking Trucking.
The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority purchased the former Chevron property for $3.4 million in 2008. The Port Authority formed a private-public partnership with Midwest Terminals of Toledo through a long term lease for the property. That acquisition made the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority the largest land mass seaport on the Great Lakes.
The 181 acres of land was used as an oil refinery from 1890 to 1987 and successfully completed the State of Ohio’s Voluntary Action Program (VAP) when Gulf Oil Company spent $19 million on site remediation, approximately $13 million more than the VAP required.
It is the mission of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority to continuously leverage our strategic geographic position, resources and economic development proficiency to provide increased business opportunities—built upon and around our innovative transportation and logistics expertise—while promoting our community and region within the global marketplace. We will accomplish this through unmatched speed and efficiency of service, collaborative and strategic partnerships, community stewardship and the continued generation and execution of new ideas and innovations.
www.toledoportauthority.org – 419.243.8259
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