The Ports of Houston and Galveston have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore opportunities for the development and use of property on Pelican Island as a future container-handling facility, to address long-term container capacity needs and to stimulate economic development for the Texas Gulf Coast region.
The MOU calls for both ports to identify a joint action-planning team to create a Master Development Plan for a container-handling facility on the island.
It also calls for both ports to put property that they own on Pelican Island to use in the development of the container-handling facility and for the Port of Houston Authority to operate the facility.
“Now that we have our Bayport Container facility open and running, it's prudent for us to start the planning for Pelican Island,” said Jim Edmonds, chairman of the Port of Houston Authority Commission.
Expectations are for container cargo growth to continue at double digit increases. The two ports anticipate market demand to require development and operation of such a facility within the next ten to fifteen years.
“With the expansion of the Panama Canal, the West Gulf region is in prime position to take advantage of the future growth in the maritime industry,” said Benny Holland, chairman of Port of Galveston’s board of trustees.
The joint agreement stipulates that finance and development of the facility would not begin until after 2015, when the port authority's Bayport Container Terminal is expected to be fully built out.
The MOU calls for both ports to identify a joint action-planning team to create a Master Development Plan for a container-handling facility on the island.
It also calls for both ports to put property that they own on Pelican Island to use in the development of the container-handling facility and for the Port of Houston Authority to operate the facility.
“Now that we have our Bayport Container facility open and running, it's prudent for us to start the planning for Pelican Island,” said Jim Edmonds, chairman of the Port of Houston Authority Commission.
Expectations are for container cargo growth to continue at double digit increases. The two ports anticipate market demand to require development and operation of such a facility within the next ten to fifteen years.
“With the expansion of the Panama Canal, the West Gulf region is in prime position to take advantage of the future growth in the maritime industry,” said Benny Holland, chairman of Port of Galveston’s board of trustees.
The joint agreement stipulates that finance and development of the facility would not begin until after 2015, when the port authority's Bayport Container Terminal is expected to be fully built out.