VANCOUVER, Wash. - Following a public hearing on a proposed amendment to the port's official planning document, the Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the surplus and subsequent demolition of three port buildings.
Removal of the structures is necessary for the continued delivery of the port's West Vancouver Freight Access (WVFA) rail project that, when complete in 2017, is expected to reduce congestion on the regional rail system by as much as 40 percent. Accelerating removal of the buildings also paves the way for possible expansion of grain export operations at the port. Demolition of the buildings is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2011.
The buildings slated for removal include a warehouse, a port office and a restroom facility and are located on the port's Terminal 2 adjacent to the grain terminal. Operated by United Grain Corporation (UGC), the grain terminal has historically exported an average of three million tons of U.S. wheat annually from the Port of Vancouver. Tentative expansion plans by UGC include the addition of approximately 60,000 tons of additional storage space for corn and soybeans, which could result in an additional two million tons of grain moving through the port, nearly doubling current grain exports.
"The surplus and demolition of these buildings is the first step in a $72 million project that we hope to complete over the next several years," said Tony Flagg, president of United Grain Corporation. Flagg cited the recent completion of the Columbia River channel deepening project as one of the reasons behind the proposed expansion.
Because the shipping channel depth was increased from 40 to 43 feet, approximately 7,200 tons of additional grain can be loaded onto each vessel calling at the Port of Vancouver. The ability to accommodate larger ships carrying heavier cargo loads makes the port and the U.S. farmers who ship their grain through the port more competitive in the global marketplace.
"We're very pleased that the investments we're making in port infrastructure and our involvement in worthy efforts such as the channel deepening are paying off; not only when it comes to attracting new tenants, but we're creating opportunity for our existing tenants," said Larry Paulson, executive director for the port. "Our mission is to provide economic benefit to our community through leadership, stewardship and partnerships in marine and industrial development; and that's what's happening at the Port of Vancouver."