Port Development
Guided by a comprehensive 20-Year Master/Vision Plan approved in early Fiscal Year 2008 by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners, Port Everglades continues to move forward with numerous development projects to accommodate demands of today's cruise and cargo industries.
The 20-year plan includes $418.5 million in projects to be undertaken through Fiscal Year 2012. The Port's five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), was revised to reflect the Master/Vision Plan projects to be implemented in the Fiscal Years 2008 to Year 2012. Some of the projects in the CIP were already underway or in the planning process when Commissioners voted to adopt the Plan, and others have been added as part of the Master/Vision Plan. The total budget amount for the five-year CIP is $421.9 million, which $112.9 million would be potential debt funded, $72 million funded by private investment and $50.4 million from grant funds - leaving $185.8 million for the Port Everglades Department to fund through Port revenue.
Cruise Facilities
In all, Port Everglades' five-year capital improvement plan calls for expansions and/or renovations of nine of the Port's 12 cruise terminals.
The largest development project is the expansion of Cruise Terminal 18 from 67,500 square feet to 240,000 square feet in time for the November 2009 arrival of the first of the world's two largest cruise ships, Royal Caribbean International's $1.24 billion Oasis of the Seas.
In addition of the Cruise Terminal 18 expansion, other cruise-related projects include expanding Terminal 29 in Midport, and redeveloping Northport's Terminal 4 and Midport's Terminal 19 to handle larger cruise ships. Adjacent terminals 21, 22/24 and 25 at Midport will be combined to accommodate mega-vessels. Northport's Terminal 2 will be renovated as part of the separation of the seaport and Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center. To help traffic flow, roadway projects include a adding a separate taxi lane in Midport, widening Eller Drive and adding a Midport parking structure with approximately 2,000 spaces. In addition, the Port is installing new signage to help cruise passengers find their way.
Cargo Projects
Capital improvements in the Southport area of the Port, which is primarily used for containerized cargo activity, include construction of a new 41-acre marine terminal. Tran Construction, Inc., of Miami, won the bid for the
Phases VIIA and VIII cargo terminals in the Southport area at Port Everglades in the amount of $12.3 million including contingencies. Florida state grants are funding up to half of this economic stimulus project. The terminal is expected to be completed by early 2010. This project will increase cargo yards at Port Everglades by 15 percent from existing acreage.
Other Southport projects include realignment of McIntosh Road to ease movement for trucks serving container terminal facilities, plus planned development of a 15-acre site west of McIntosh Road for relocating on-port buildings of Foreign-Trade Zone No. 25.
Eco-friendly moves by Port Everglades include the replacement of a rail-mounted Midport crane with a mobile harbor crane and refurbishment of Midport's other rail-mounted crane, with both units to operate on biodiesel fuel.
