Proposed new port in Brunswick County takes step forward

Asked last week whether the proposed new port in Brunswick County was a "done deal," Tom Eagar, N.C. State Ports Authority chief executive officer, said, "No, not by any means."

"There's a lot of things that could come up," he added. "I'm not going to assure you that ... it's a done deal."

But an idea that once seemed a pipe dream to many local residents clearly is much more than that now. After months without any major new announcements in the process, the ports authority said Tuesday it had reached a tentative agreement with the potential developer of the N.C. International Terminal on 605 acres near Southport.

Ports officials said they had been working behind the scenes with CenterPoint Properties, of Oak Brook, Ill., for many months, and that the company was encouraged by what it found in preliminary looks at the site and economic data.

By late August, CenterPoint is expected to submit a full development proposal for consideration by the Ports Authority Board of Directors at its Sept. 24 meeting. If approved, the Council of State, which is made up of 10 statewide elected officials, must also sign off on the development agreement, as it did with the $30 million land purchase about two and a half years ago.

Tuesday also was a big day for No Port/Southport, a growing group of residents opposed to the project. Hundreds of people showed up at its first public meeting Tuesday night and vowed to form alliances with state and national agencies, lobby politicians, circulate petitions, raise funds and awareness, and do whatever it takes to stop the port.

Ironically, the ports authority and CenterPoint are planning similar activities over the next few months in pursuit of the port. They plan to work together on support from government officials and the public and develop public relations strategies to deliver their message about the economic benefits of a huge international port to North Carolina.

The authority and CenterPoint have a lot of work ahead, not only in convincing the public and government officials, but also complying with state and federal regulatory agencies and ensuring adequate infrastructure is in place to support such a massive facility, including roads and rail.

Eagar said highway access is among the key obstacles. According to the preliminary agreement between CenterPoint and the authority, they intend to meet with the N.C. Department of Transportation to come up with cost estimates and feasibility studies for the roads needed to accommodate the truck traffic.

But even once the price tag is known, the authority and the DOT must come up with the money - perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars - to construct new roads to support the International Terminal at a time when the entire state is struggling with transportation funding issues and needs. The executive committee of the authority board of directors recently passed a resolution requesting that the DOT conduct a feasibility study to determine the best way to relieve potential congestion from N.C. 211, N.C. 133 and N.C. 87, as well as consider constructing a new highway to serve the port.

Ports Authority officials say they hope to open the first phase of the International Terminal by 2017, if not sooner, but major roads take a long time to plan and build. It remains unclear whether adequate roads would be in place to serve the port by that date or whether the first container trucks would be permitted to leave the port without them.

The preliminary development agreement also calls for a rail plan to come up with cost estimates and feasibility studies for rail service, and a shipping plan to identify needed improvements to the Cape Fear River shipping channel and dredging requirements.

Before a port can be built, an environmental impact statement must also be completed. In an interview last week, Eagar said the Ports Authority should know in the next few weeks whether Congress will authorize funding this year for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reconnaissance study, the first step in the years-long process that would analyze potential impacts of the facility.

If the federal government doesn't come through with the study money, the ports authority plans to file a special application with the corps of engineers to allow the authority to hire an engineering consultant and do a feasibility study with corps oversight, Eagar said.

Eagar said he was "hopeful" that the federal dollars would be available so the authority could follow the traditional path, but that it was prepared to pursue the other option if necessary.

"There are no guarantees in that political environment," he said of Washington.

Patrick Gannon: 343-2328

patrick.gannon@starnewsonline.com