South Philly Review

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One hopes state Sen. Larry Farnese Jr. is not superstitious about numbers. Otherwise, he probably would have doubted the likelihood that Pennsylvania lawmakers would pass House Bill 666.

The last three weeks have sunk any worries Farnese, in his first term representing the 1st District, may have had. Within those weeks, the state Senate, House of Representatives and Gov. Ed Rendell have approved the plans of Farnese and state Rep. William Keller to build the Southport Marine Terminal, a 239-acre terminal that would enable South Philadelphia to improve Pennsylvania’s global status in cargo movement.

The facility, to rest south of the Walt Whitman Bridge, will bring hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs to the city, Farnese said.

“Highly-skilled workers — longshoremen, truck drivers and crane operators — will benefit greatly,” he said. “They will be able to find and keep family-sustaining jobs. Construction jobs alone will be huge.”

It greenlights a project that struggled to gain the backing of Rendell in 2008. He vetoed legislation by Keller, who had claimed that the Navy Yard lacked authority to deed to the city formerly submerged land, or riparian, properties when the giving over of the entire base happened more than a decade ago. Farnese’s June amendment authorizes the transfer of 180 acres of land at the Navy Yard from the city to the state and involves only formerly submerged land.

Rendell and Mayor Michael Nutter forged an agreement allowing the city to retain legal title at the Navy Yard and deeding the 180 acres to the state. The House bill met with unanimous approval in the Senate June 22 and in the House the next day. Rendell signed Act No. 38, the amended version of the bill, July 2. His decision grants 142 acres of land and 38 acres of water to the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority to construct the terminal.

With an estimated price tag of $450 million, the terminal’s full 239 acres will comprise territory in Piers 122 and 124. Though the piers are next to and just south of the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, Columbus Boulevard at Packer Avenue, Farnese noted port officials expect the locations of the first two ship berths to be south of the piers. Their placement would distinguish the terminals but help Philadelphia’s shipping reputation nonetheless.

“Shipping has become a more global business than ever,” he said.

The Packer Avenue site specializes in handling containers, steel products, frozen meat, fruit, project and heavy lift cargoes and paper. The Southport location could receive cars, solar panels and electronic devices, according to Cathie Abookire, director of communications for Farnese.

“I have two goals with this project,” Farnese, who joined Keller’s cause upon entering office in January ’09, said. “One is upholding the integrity of the folks who’ve worked on the waterfront, and two is turning this area into an elite shipping destination.”

Farnese’s awareness of the mentality of Philadelphia’s workers means his first goal should be a cinch. Geography may help his latter goal.

The terminal will have proximity to I-95 and three prominent railroad carriers, Canadian Pacific Highway, CSX and Norfolk Southern.

“The last big project, in my opinion, that Philadelphia involved itself in was the [Pennsylvania] Convention Center [1101 Arch St.]. Well, in terms of significance, this dwarfs the Convention Center,” Farnese said. “This will make the ports a destination for economic development and bring jobs to grow neighborhoods.”

The recent three-week windfall has stemmed from the tireless efforts of Farnese, Keller and the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development (PAID), which is a division of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp. Most of the city’s bigger development projects go through PIDC.

The signing by Rendell, who has promised $25 million in state aid for site preparation,is the latest shot in the arm for Southport. The unveiling of the project occurred in March ’09. Movement on actualizing Farnese and Keller’s brainchild became more concrete May 12, when the state issued a solicitation for bid proposals. A May 20 webinar allowed contractors, terminal operators and representatives from investment banks and shipping companies to learn more and to plot their pitches.

Interested parties have until 10 a.m. Monday to submit technical concept proposals. The Pennsylvania Department of General Services, who through the bill are responsible for granting and conveying the lands in the 39th Ward, will then help to narrow the bid teams to three or four, possibly naming a preferred bidder in September.

“This facility could help Philadelphia to rival Hong Kong,” Farnese said.

Many new ships often demand more than 50 feet of clearance, and Delaware and New Jersey authorities and environmental groups oppose any deepening. Farnese remains unphased.

“Philadelphia faces competition from New York, Wilmington, Baltimore and, surprisingly, ports across the country. It doesn’t make any sense not to dredge and not to do the Southport project,” he said. “This terminal can catapult Philadelphia; it means j-o-b-s.”