Did Detroit prosper from its Port Activity 2017 ?

[O3H]

Windsor claims the number of ships using the port is up 10 per cent compared to the same time last year, with salt and grain as the hottest commodities.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windso...nomy-1.4453849

[Lowell]

The port usually empty but, in the unlikely case of Amazon coming here, it could become an active Windsor-Detroit ferry port. That was a point in the recently released Detroit-Windsor proposal.

"In the event that Amazon selects the area for HQ2, Detroit and Windsor have committed to operating a ferry that would provide nearly door-to-door service between riverfront offices on both sides of the border."

[EGrant]

Take it with a "grain and salt" am I right?

[O3H]

Detroit is on the river, so "having" a port is a no brainer.
Effectively making economic gains year after year is a bit tougher

GM’s interest was enhanced due to the decision by the
vessel operator Spliethoff, a Dutch based ocean carrier
offering container service between the Great Lakes and Northern Europe,
to increase its service offering to the Great Lakes.

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/m...t_578070_7.pdf

"Port Authorities play a critical part and economic
development role through the issuance of bonds
to finance facility development.
Unfortunately, in the State of Michigan, State law limits the Port bond financing to “facilities owned by a Port Authority”.
This has stymied the ability of the Agency to assist private
terminals in the Detroit area.
In order to remedy this situation, the Port Authority in 2015
began working with the Michigan House Commerce and Trade Committee on modification to the Port Authority Act to address this limitation."

[401don]

The port usually empty but, in the unlikely case of Amazon coming here, it could become an active Windsor-Detroit ferry port. That was a point in the recently released Detroit-Windsor proposal.

"In the event that Amazon selects the area for HQ2, Detroit and Windsor have committed to operating a ferry that would provide nearly door-to-door service between riverfront offices on both sides of the border."

The passenger dock at Hart Plaza was obviously a total waste of Fed. pork dollars but I thought the Port of Detroit, which includes all their docking locations, would be doing better with the economic turnaround.

[Wesley Mouch]

The passenger dock at Hart Plaza was obviously a total waste of Fed. pork dollars but I thought the Port of Detroit, which includes all their docking locations, would be doing better with the economic turnaround.

Isn't the purpose of pork to waste? Fat to contractors, labor, and landowners, usually those who will in turn support the pork provider?

Unfortunately, in the State of Michigan, State law limits the Port bond financing to “facilities owned by a Port Authority”.

Also, isn't that the idea. Public bonding is used for public infrastructure. Private investment can issue their own bonds, or other financing. I'm all in favor of privatization and its wonderful benefits, but not giving the private sector public debt. [[Maybe BG or CTY can enlighten on the fiscal morality here?)

[O3H]

Time to go P3 - public - private - partnerships

“When private businesses are taking the risks
and putting their profits on the line,
funding is more likely to get allocated
to high-return projects and completed
in the most efficient manner.”

"Chris Edwards research discovered that
private infrastructure investment in the United States
is five times larger than total nondefense government investment.
Federal infrastructure investment has been known to be misallocated.
Agencies have burdensome regulations and no incentives for efficiency."

[Lowell]

This is the best I could find and from 3 years ago...

"Four years after construction of the Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority public dock, the facilities are used almost exclusively by a catering company for weddings and other events. Parties also are offered on a yacht.

"According to a report in the Detroit News, only one cruise ship has docked this year at the 21,000-square-foot building near the Renaissance Center — the same number as in 2014. The Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority building, meanwhile, is used by Troy-based Continental Services for events."

I can't imagine it has changed. The Great Lakes simply do not have a highly developed cruise line industry. To the old saying "If you build it, they will come" one needs to add "if there is anybody".

Here are some with Detroit stops.
http://victorycruiselines.com/great-lakes-cruises

[Richard]

The port usually empty but, in the unlikely case of Amazon coming here, it could become an active Windsor-Detroit ferry port. That was a point in the recently released Detroit-Windsor proposal.

"In the event that Amazon selects the area for HQ2, Detroit and Windsor have committed to operating a ferry that would provide nearly door-to-door service between riverfront offices on both sides of the border."

I have always felt like the port was an underutilized asset,but in the background it is controlled by one company,think transportation related and connecting one country to another.

Awhile back,and I cannot remember the details they also did a land swap with the city on another riverfront property,it was mentioned in a small place in the news but actually gives them control of shipping through the water ways.

[O3H]

There are 60 Federally maintained ports on the Great Lakes.
Others are privately maintained.
Some ports handle a number of different cargos, others just one or two.

The Jones Act is a Federal law requires domestic waterborne commerce
to be carried on vessels that are U. S.-crewed, U. S.-built,
and U. S.-owned.

Lake Carriers’ Association [[“LCA”) represents U.S.-flag vessel
operators on the Great Lakes. The Association's 13 member companies
operate 49 U.S.-flag self-propelled vessels and tug/barge units

There isn’t a single large coal mine anywhere near a Great Lakes port.
American railroads, in other instances fierce competitors for
the cargo carried by lakers, - deliver the coal to Lakes ports -
for final shipment to customers in the U.S., Canada and overseas.

[subterranean]

Wow, only 10x as much as the Carribean. No thanks.

[O3H]

Pretty sure people don't miss the pollution from the old steel plants.

Shipments of iron ore on the #GreatLakes totaled 60.3 million tons in 2017, up 10.9% over 2016, the highest since 2012 and bettered the trade’s 5-year average by 4.6%. - Ports on Lake Superior loaded 23% more ore this last year.

Detroit could do better as a Port City and Logistics Hub

[O3H]

Maybe Detroit Port needs to get a clue from elsewhere in the world

https://www.economist.com/news/brief...be-transformed

Some estimate that as many as 7.5 million retail jobs will disappear in America over the next decade, in part because of the increased possibilities for e-commerce that better logistics will bring.

[masterblaster]

Maybe Detroit Port needs to get a clue from elsewhere in the world

https://www.economist.com/news/brief...be-transformed

Some estimate that as many as 7.5 million retail jobs will disappear in America over the next decade, in part because of the increased possibilities for e-commerce that better logistics will bring.

That little tiny port is not nearly big enough to accommodate the type of huge shipping freighters that are highlighted in this article. How will they unload and load all of those shipping containers, as there is no access to rail or trucks at the spot?

[Richard]

They are kinda stuck inbetween a rock and a hard place,they need to invest in upgrades but they are making interest payments on a loan that a person gave them and until they pay off the principle they are Kinda locked down.

It is probably not going to make you happy,but here is the back story.

http://www.record-eagle.com/opinion/...19140b60e.html

[O3H]

Detroit used to be a STEEL mecca,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLouth_Steel

Detroit screwed itself, by never capitalizing on its PORT capabilities.
The region needs to get away from cars, a one trick pony, and diversify

http://footage.framepool.com/en/shot...ics-cargo-ship

[MikeM]

With a 730' x 75' limit on ship size, Detroit isn't going anywhere as port. Jones Act isn't helping either.

[O3H]

And yet - the North American "laker," the largest
being 1,013 feet long, is capable of carrying up to 70,000 tons
of iron ore or 1,700,00 bushels of grain in one trip.

http://newsearch.boatnerd.com/

[gencinjay]

This is the best I could find and from 3 years ago...

"According to a report in the Detroit News, only one cruise ship has docked this year at the 21,000-square-foot building near the Renaissance Center — the same number as in 2014. The Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority building, meanwhile, is used by Troy-based Continental Services for events."

I can't imagine it has changed. The Great Lakes simply do not have a highly developed cruise line industry. To the old saying "If you build it, they will come" one needs to add "if there is anybody".

It may be one boat, but I saw this one at least 4 times last summer.

[MikeM]

And yet - the North American "laker," the largest
being 1,013 feet long, is capable of carrying up to 70,000 tons
of iron ore or 1,700,00 bushels of grain in one trip.

http://newsearch.boatnerd.com/

...And stranded on four of the Great Lakes. Are you expecting Detroit to be a Long Beach, a Rotterdam, a Guangzhou with that?

[O3H]

I'm expecting Detroit to get a god damn clue.
It is being left behind, discarded, forgotten about and we have WATER.
The area must diversify, move away from ""just"" a automotive mindset.

https://www.seaway.dot.gov/about/gre...-seaway-system

The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway is a deep draft waterway extending [[2,340 miles) from the Atlantic Ocean to the head of the Great Lakes, in the heart of North America. The St. Lawrence Seaway portion of the System extends from Montreal to mid-Lake Erie. Ranked as one of the outstanding engineering feats of the twentieth century, the St. Lawrence Seaway includes 13 Canadian and 2 U.S. locks.
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River have been major North American trade arteries since long before the U.S. or Canada achieved nationhood. Today, this integrated navigation system serves mariners, farmers, factory workers, and commercial interests from the western prairies to the eastern seaboard.
Virtually every commodity imaginable moves on the Great Lakes Seaway System. Annual commerce on the System exceeds 200 million net tons [[180 million metric tons), and there is still ample room for growth. Some commodities are dominant:

• Iron ore for the steel industry
• Coal for power generation and steel production
• Limestone for construction and steel industries
• Grain for overseas markets
• General cargo, such as iron and steel products and heavy machinery
• Cement, salt and stone aggregates for agriculture and industry

[O3H]

STATEMENT OF JAMES WEAKLEY, PRESIDENT,
LAKE CARRIERS’ ASSOCIATION, BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE INTERIOR, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT OF THE
COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
10:00 a.m., March 6, 2018
“Examining the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers”

Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.
I am Jim Weakley, President of the Lake Carriers’ Association [[LCA). We represent 13 American companies that operate 45 U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes and carry the raw materials that drive the
nation’s economy: iron ore and flux stone for the steel industry, aggregate and cement for the construction industry, coal for power generation, as well as sand and grain.

Collectively, our members can transport more than 100 million tons of dry-bulk cargo per year and employ more than 1,600 men and women, all of whom are U.S. citizens or legally admitted aliens, and provide
annual wages and benefits of approximately $125 million.

In turn, the cargos our members carry generate and sustain more than 103,000 jobs in the eight Great Lakes states and have an annual
economic impact of more than $20 billion.

What is Detroit getting out of the Detroit River.......zilch !!!

[MikeM]

You mean the city of Detroit itself, and not the region [[River Rouge, Ecorse, Dearborn)? I still don't get what you're expecting. Most shipping on the Great Lakes is bulk cargo: iron, coal, stone, wheat, salt, cement, petrochemicals. Detroit isn't going to ship or receive any more than it produces or needs. Detroit gladly got rid of a lot of riverfront industry that was an eyesore hindering more desirable development and polluting the water. And just a few years ago there was an uproar when petcoke was being shipped from the city. Now that spot has become a stone dock with frequent visits by freighters to unload, thanks to the despised Matty Maroun.

[O3H]

In the words of the AUTHORITY :

The mission of the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority [[DWCPA)
is to plan, develop, and promote Detroit as a freight transportation
and distribution hub for U.S. Midwest and Southwestern Ontario
businesses and their customers and vendors,
- for the purpose of fostering economic growth in the City of Detroit.

Most of us agree the luxury cruise nonsense was D.O.A. at day one.

Care to let folks get your input directly ?
http://www.portdetroit.com/wp-conten...te-_6.6.18.pdf

For 2017
From January 1 through June 30, the Nicholson Marine Terminals in Detroit and Ecorse, handled 36 ocean-going ships, delivering more than 188,000 tons of steel, aluminum and industrial equipment. The Port of Detroit, comprised of 25 public and private terminals, handles 15 – 20 million tons of cargo every year.

Currently [[click on Detroit)
http://www.boatnerd.com/passage/defaultpassage.htm