June 21, 2005

Port of Corpus Christi issues RFP to Develop and
Operate a Major Container Terminal in the Western Gulf of Mexico

La Quinta Trade Gateway property primed for development

(Corpus Christi, TX) --- Nearly ten years ago the Port of Corpus Christi foresaw the congestion problems now plaguing North America’s traditional international gateways for containerized cargo and the negative impact it is having on the operations of ocean carriers that serve those ports. Further impacted by this growing congestion are the importers and exporters that depend upon those ports for the efficient movement of their goods, as a result the Port of Corpus Christi conceived the La Quinta Trade Gateway as an alternative port on the Gulf of Mexico for containerized cargo.

“We knew then that more ocean terminal capacity was going to be needed, and that to be effective in curing a major (and growing) congestion problem the new terminals should be placed in locations where the port, highway and rail systems have the capacity to serve the business efficiently,” said Jake Jacobi, Deputy Director of the Port of Corpus Christi and primary contact for the La Quinta Trade Gateway RFP.

The need for new and efficient solutions to the well-known limitations of the North American port and intermodal network has thus created an opportunity for the Port of Corpus Christi to participate in the growing volume of containerized trade by serving the shippers and carriers in a new way.

To take advantage of this opportunity the Port moved forward with the purchase of 1,100 acres of land on Corpus Christi Bay near Corpus Christi, Texas, and since then has undertaken and completed:

• Market reviews of the proposed terminal’s volume potential
• Engineering studies of the site
• Highway traffic impact analysis for the terminal and its feeder roads
• Environmental studies as required for obtaining critical permits, and
• Numerous public meetings resulting in very positive support

This work succeeded in allowing the Port to obtain U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits for building the ship channel extension and the ocean terminal, often some of the most difficult, expensive and time-consuming tasks in developing a new terminal. “With this work behind us, we are now ready to move forward with the development of the La Quinta Trade Gateway,” said Jacobi.

The Port of Corpus Christi views this RFP process as the first step toward combining its strengths and assets with those of an international terminal operator to bring this project to completion.

To return to the previous page, select the "Back" button at the top of your browser window.