Port authority to elevate property for possible tenant

Business Today

SCOTT CITY -- The Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority on July 30 unveiled a $500,000 project intended to attract industry to its Scott County port.

The port currently faces a lack of land above flood level. The project will address that need by elevating a 12-acre plot of land adjacent to its slackwater harbor above flood level.

Lone Star Industries, a cement company in Cape Girardeau, is putting up half of the price for the project, as well as donating the material to fill the site. The other half of the cost will come from a $200,000 grant awarded by the Delta Regional Port Authority and $50,000 will be put up by the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority itself.

"Lone Star donated so much of the cost and materials because taking the dirt off that land will allow them to get enough rock to make cement for 100, 150 years," said the port's executive director, Dan Overbey. "It's a win-win situation for them and the port."

Overbey said that 200,000 square yards of dirt will be moved to the 12-acre site in order to raise it the 20 feet required to bring it above flood level. The cost of the project will come not only from the earth-moving operations, but also from such things as clearing the land and erosion control measures, he said.

"We've reached a plateau here with the amount of land we currently have," said Overbey. "We need more usable sites to be able to continue growing."

Dumey Contracting Inc., of Benton, Mo., was awarded the contract after a competitive bidding period. Engineering contracts were awarded to Bowen Engineering.

So far there are no industries lined up to take over the plot, which already has all utilities in place, said Overbey. He said the port is aggressively looking for industries that might be interested in the site. He said the port is seeking a company that moves a lot of freight, preferably a distribution company, and possibly one that does some manufacturing, as well.

"We'd like to see them move at least a barge or two a week," said Overbey. "That would equal about 100,000-200,000 tons of freight a year."

The port authority expects the project to be completed sometime this fall.

It is estimated that the 12-acre site will bring 31 direct jobs and 93 indirect jobs to the area, with $3.2 million dollars invested in the local economy.

Overbey said there are plans to raise another 18 acres next to the harbor above flood level.