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Have you heard about the Mid-America Intermodal Port?

Established in 1999 by a compact between Illinois, Iowa and Missouri, the 26-county, Mid-America Port Commission was designed to be a catalyst for economic growth in the Tri-States. The developer of the first of six proposed physical Port projects is the Mid-America Intermodal Authority Port District, an Illinois Port located in the South Quincy Development District on the Mississippi River, approximately one mile below Lock and Dam 21 .

But what exactly is the Mid-America Intermodal Port? Let’s break it down:

Mid-America: The middle of America, a physical location that aligns with global business strategies and offers major market proximity.

Intermodal: The movement of freight by two or more modes of transportation. This port will have the ability to ship, receive or transload between truck, rail and barge at the South Quincy site and between truck and air at the regional airports.

Inland Port: A rail or a barge terminal that is linked by rail or inland waterway to a seaport with regular inland transport services.

Why should we care?

The total project cost is estimated at $70 to $80 million. That’s a huge investment for our region and translates into hundreds of jobs during the construction phase. Long-term, the Port will make the South Quincy Development District an ideal logistics location with more than 1,500 develop-able acres adjacent to the proposed Port location.

A number of companies currently located near the Port site have indicated the new Port facilities would drive significant capital investment and job creation adjacent to the new Port.

Promotion of the Mid-America Port development opportunities to prospective businesses and site consultants (such as this new brochure developed by GREDF) could lead to millions of dollars in investments by companies looking for a physical location that aligns with their global business strategies. The primary purpose and major benefit of the Port is to give regional businesses access to lower cost and best modes of transportation to help them stay globally competitive and keep jobs here.

In the works:

Over the past several weeks, Port and economic development officials have met one-on-one with a number of key officials, including; Paul “Chip” Jaenichen, Administrator, U.S. Maritime Administration; William Paape, Director, Gateway Inland Waterways, MARAD; Governor Bruce Rauner; Jim Schultz, Director, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; Randy Blankenhorn, Secretary, Illinois Department of Transportation; and Wayne Rosenthal, Director, Illinois Department of Natural Resources to share this status update:

• The project has been selected as part of the USDOT Build America Transportation Investment Center Program, a fast-track project program providing technical assistance on permitting, public/private partnership structure, funding and other requirements.
• A $1.3 million grant from DCEO for permitting, design and engineering has been approved.
• The U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) has requested and received regular updates on the status of the project.
• The Port District and a local engineering firm are preparing the TIGER application.

The Bottom Line:

The Mid-America Intermodal Port has the potential to pay huge dividends for decades to come, maintaining and improving the economic vitality and quality of life of the entire tri-state region.

Click here to see the newest marketing piece for the Mid-America Intermodal Port. Want to know more? Contact us at 217.223.4313. 

Mr. Wagner Goes to Washington

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The recent trip to Washington, DC, for the Congressman Aaron Schock Fly-In was a very productive event for GREDF and our region. Mayor Kyle Moore, Amy Looten, Executive Director of the Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce, and GREDF’s own Marcel Wagner traveled together and had the opportunity to discuss important issues facing our region with a number of legislators.

To prepare for the Washington trip, the GREDF staff prepared a document entitled, Critical Issues for the Quincy and Adams County Region, to present to legislators. Key issues highlighted in the document include:Presentations from Congressional Representatives and Senators provided insights into how national issues impact Quincy and Adams County.

• Funding for local workforce programs
• Tri-State Highway Priorities including the completion of the Macomb Bypass
• TIGER 5 Grant Application on behalf of the Mid America Intermodal Authority Port District
• USDA Great Region designation
• M-94 Corridor (Upper Mississippi Connector) Marine Highway designation
• Water Resources Development Act of 2013 passage and funding

While in Washington, Mayor Moore joined Marcel in a meeting with Patrick Souders, Chief of Staff for Senator Dick Durbin, to discuss issues and opportunities facing the Quincy and Adams County region, including those highlighted in our Critical Issues document. During the meeting, Marcel emphasized the need for these issues to be addressed to ensure the long-term growth and success of our city, county and region.

The action-packed trip also included GREDF meetings with the Chief of Staff for Congressman Joe Kline of Minnesota; a representative from the Office of Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin; and Congressman Rod Davis of Illinois. These three states along the Mississippi River share concerns about the critical importance of our lock and dam infrastructure and how the future of the inland waterways system is key to the long-term strength and security of the nation.

We look forward to continuing the discussion about the critical issues facing our region with our elected leaders at home, in Springfield and in Washington.

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Rivers Issues are Driving New Partnerships

Over the past several weeks GREDF President, Marcel Wagner and Director of the Quincy Entrepreneurship Center, Charles Bell, have had the opportunity to meet with a number of groups that have the same concerns about the future of river transportation as our organization. Meetings with Department of Transportation officials from Illinois, Iowa and Missouri, agricultural trade groups such as the Illinois Soybean Association and Iowa Soybean Association and a variety of economic development groups have driven the need for the 3 states and others to partner on a focused effort to maintain and upgrade the locks and dams. Just one reason why: At a recent meeting in Iowa the Army Corp of Engineers said that their schedule of upgrades and maintenance is now pushed out to 2090.

Here are some important statistics about the current state of river issues:

• Of the 27 locks and dams on the upper Mississippi, only 1 is within its 50 year design life, 2 are 20 years past design life, 21 are 30 years past design life and 3 are past the 30 year design life.
• The average age of the upper Mississippi locks is 72 years.
• A single point of failure at any lock shuts down the system.
• Current funding only addresses critical maintenance and emergency repairs. Since 1990 that funding has been cut from $13 billion annually to $7 billion annually.
• Trade growth on the Mississippi will increase by 40% over the next 20 years.
• 1 barge is the equivalent of 70 53-foot semi-trucks and a disruption of river service would cause severe deterioration of roads and bridges and increase road congestion by multiples.
• Barge freight averages $10.67 per ton cost of freight less than road and rail.

A partnership among the Upper Mississippi River states is urging the passage of the 2013 Water Resources and Development Act which is critical to maintaining the current status of our waterways. Congress also needs to address the shortage of funding in the Inland Waterways Trust Fund.

The next step for the partnership is to secure Marine Highway status for the Upper Mississippi Connector, stretching from St. Louis to St. Paul on the Mississippi River. Declaring this Connector a Marine Highway could benefit the region by promoting navigation and economic development. The designation also allows ports and terminals to receive technical assistance from the U.S. Maritime Administration, a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

What can you do?

Contact your state and federal elected officials and ask them to make rivers issues a top priority. You can find contact information for your elected officials here: www.usa.gov.

Site Selection Priorities and Our Messaging

You are Invited!

[share] GREDF’s 2012 Annual Meeting will be held Wednesday, January 11th at the Oakley Lindsay Center, 300 Civic Center Plaza, in Quincy. A cash bar will be available beginning at 5:00 pm with the meeting starting at 5:45 pm. No RSVP is required and the event is free and open to the public. Members of the business community and general public are encouraged to attend.

Outgoing GREDF Board Chairman, Connie Schroeder, Vice President of Corporate Integration and Innovation at Blessing Corporate Services will give the evening’s feature presentation which includes highlights from the past year. This year’s theme is “Telling Our Story”.

Other speakers include Quincy Mayor John Spring and Mike McLaughlin, Chairman of the Adams County Board.

GREDF has been a driving force in Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, since 1978. Our number one priority is to retain existing businesses and help them grow. We assist prospective businesses, site consultants and entrepreneurs. As our name, “Great River” implies, we collaborate regionally with our neighbors along the Mississippi River in Western Illinois, Northeast Missouri and Southeast Iowa.

For more information about GREDF and our 2012 Annual Meeting, please call our office: 217.223.4313 or email gredf@gredf.org.

[share] Group to Discuss Upper Mississippi & Illinois Rivers Locks & Dams at Roundtable

A roundtable will be held to discuss the importance of upgrading Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers Locks and Dams on Monday, November 28, 2011, at the Oakley Lindsay Center. The meeting is being hosted by the Great River Economic Development Foundation.

Garry Niemeyer, President of the National Corn Growers Association will chair the roundtable. The proposed agenda includes, among other topics, the following:

• Explanation and discussion of the Waterways Council, Inc. Capital Development Plan, Paul Rohde, Vice-President of Waterways Council, Inc.
• Priority list for locks and dams upgrades and repairs including budget and its impact on operations and maintenance, Army Corps of Engineers Representative
• Assessment on current situation in Washington, the Administration’s proposal and the Corps’ budget, Adam Nielsen, Illinois Farm Bureau Representative

This roundtable is a follow-up to an earlier meeting that was held in conjunction with and immediately following the 9^th Tri-State Development Summit on October 5, 2011 in Quincy. During that meeting, the group, which consists of representatives from private companies as well as agriculture, waterways and transportation associations, decided it was time to move beyond studies and analysis and into action.

In testimony on September 21, 2011, before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, Waterways Council, Inc. President and CEO Michael Toohey recommended the Inland Waterways Capital Development Plan as the path forward to improve the reliability of the crucial system and its infrastructure over the next 20 years.

“The inland waterways system is one of this country’s greatest assets. For over 200 years, our river system has facilitated affordable, reliable and environmentally friendly transportation as the building blocks of our economy,” Toohey testified. “It has allowed the low cost movement of large bulk commodities in an efficient and timely manner. But despite all of these advantages, our inland waterways infrastructure is suffering and in need of immediate modernization,” he added.