Missouri River Terminal
The Opportunity
Port KC is in the advanced planning stages for MRT after purchasing the 415-acre site in 2018 from AK Steel Corporation. The facility is planned as an intermodal container rail terminal and river port terminal with freight transload capabilities and the potential to serve possible transport logistics functions including on-site including retail distribution, warehousing, storage, e commerce, and other industrial activities.
Port KC plans to pursue the development of MRT as an advanced state-of-the-art intermodal development which will enhance the region’s rail, water, and highway trade platform. The Project contemplates the development of an inland intermodal (water, highway, and rail) port and transportation hub with potential transport logistics functions on-site or proximate including retail distribution, warehousing, freight transloading, e-commerce, and light manufacturing.
To enable development of MRT, Port KC is looking to engage with partners through long-term master development agreement(s) to finance, construct and develop the capital investment, future operational management, and maintenance of the Project.
Public-Private Partnership Opportunity
Port KC is seeking to engage qualified private partners to assist with designing, constructing, financing, operating, and maintaining MRT development. Port KC anticipates that the private partners will fund certain pre-development costs and the costs of construction, as well as provide continuing operations and maintenance for MRT. Port KC is contemplating the facilitation of low-cost, tax-exempt financing, and other potential economic incentives to be secured for the private partners.
The ultimate completed Project is anticipated to create the facilitation of freight movements and will include the creation of:
Leveraging RiverTerminal(s)
infrastructure to accept and process container vessels, barge vessels, container-on-barge services and bulk services
Short Line Railroad
To provide switching, rail storage, containerized cargo and/or truck transload transfer services
Gate Security & Access
To provide switching, rail storage, containerized cargo and/or truck trans load transfer services
Container Storage
Warehousing & Office Buildings
The Project
Port KC is preparing to solicit statements of qualifications (“SOQs”) from respondents in June 2022. Port KC expects and encourages respondent teams to offer innovative methods for and approaches to completion of the scope of services identified in this RFQ while achieving the following objectives:
• Effective utilization of the project site and supporting infrastructure with feasible and deliverable technical concept
• Commitment to environmental stewardship and investment in job creation across local communities • Maximizing cost and schedule efficiencies achievable under a P3 approach with potential for Port KC to share in long-term Project success
• Establishing key risk and demand profile for Project development of all three core freight modalities (rail, transload, marine) efficiently and expeditiously over the length of the Project Term
Port KC is contemplating a variety of public private partnership models to finance, develop, manage, and operate the Project. Port KC will commence the process to identify potential partners through procurement in calendar year 2022-2023. Port KC anticipates NEPA Approvals by Q1 2023.
Public-Private Partnership Opportunity
Key anticipated dates include (subject to change):
October 2020
April 2022
to be Submitted
May 2022
Advancing MRT
Missouri River Terminal is a key economic and employment generating initiative that Port KC is firmly committed to developing to further boost the economic growth of the region. In October 2020, USDOT awarded Port KC a Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) Grant for $9.88 million to accelerate the planning and early works construction activities required to advance MRT’s progress to full site construction quickly after environmental approvals are received.
To evidence this commitment and enhance the viability of MRT, Port KC has undertaken a series of critical pre-development tasks. Port KC has over $26 million to date in federal and state funding along with substantial Port KC revenue in order to ensure the success of the project and cover significant pre-development activities. Activities which have been completed or are currently being undertaken include:
Environmental Mitigation
Potential mitigation sites have been identified and preliminary site work is underway.
Environmental Permitting
Extensive environmental fieldwork has been completed and preparation of submissions for state and federal environmental permits is underway.
Phase I Environmental Assessments
Non-intrusive Phase I environmental assessments have been or are being performed.
Site Access Requirements
A strategic assessment of site access requirements and opportunities is underway.
The proposed MRT Project is uniquely positioned to provide maximum efficiency in operations and logistics, as well as competitive costs to intermodal customers (water, highway, and rail). Some of the advantages of the Port KC Project include:
1. Unparalleled Access:
A. MISSOURI RIVER
MRT will be able to create a commercial shipping port located on the Missouri River; allowing for a future river terminal here is direct access to the Missouri River which can utilize previous dock infrastructure at the MRT site.
B. RAIL
There is planned direct access from MRT to five Class I rail roads are located within the vicinity of the proposed Project that service the Heart of the central United States and both coasts of the United States and Canada and into Mexico.
C. INTERSTATE
There is direct access and a planned interchange to connect Interstate 435 and the multi-directional Kansas City interstate highway system that provides outstanding access to the Blue River Valley industrial corridor, the broader KC metro region and beyond.
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Port & Logistics
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