Una empresa conjunta cerró la compra del sitio del antiguo Astondale Shipyard, allanando el camino para un desarrollo que podría traer miles de empleos a Jefferson Parish.
Avondale Marine LLC, una asociación entre T. Parker Host Inc., con sede en Virginia, y Hilco Redevelopment Partners, con sede en Illinois, compró la propiedad de 254 acres de Huntington Ingalls Industries el miércoles. El precio de compra no fue revelado.
Planean convertirlo en una terminal privada multimodal mediante el redesarrollo de grúas y muelles a lo largo del río Mississippi y la conexión de embarcaciones acuáticas con instalaciones de fabricación, fabricación y distribución en tierra. El proyecto tiene el potencial de crear 2,000 empleos, dijeron funcionarios, con capacidad de grúas y pilotes que potencialmente podrían soportar cargas más grandes que otros sitios en todo el estado.
La construcción podría costar cientos de millones de dólares para mejorar las instalaciones y preparar a los inquilinos. La inversión de capital y las proyecciones de trabajo se divulgarán a medida que los planes de desarrollo del sitio avancen, según un comunicado de prensa de la oficina del gobernador John Bel Edwards. Se unió a funcionarios de la compañía y líderes locales electos y de desarrollo económico en una conferencia de prensa que anunció la compra el jueves.
La Comisión de Desarrollo Económico de la Parroquia de Jefferson y el Consejo Parroquial de Jefferson han creado un paquete de incentivos para apoyar el proyecto. Y el mes pasado, el Puerto de Nueva Orleans y el Ferrocarril de la Faja Pública de Nueva Orleans acordaron emitir un permiso jurisdiccional a Avondale Marine para el desarrollo, que se encuentra dentro de la jurisdicción del puerto. Avondale Marine planea construir una extensión ferroviaria, y el Public Belt Railroad se conectará y brindará servicio para garantizar que el sitio tenga acceso neutral a todos los ferrocarriles de Clase I en Nueva Orleans.
El Consejo Parroquial aprobó el mes pasado una resolución que respalda un acuerdo PILOTO, o un pago en lugar de impuestos, para el proyecto.
El astillero, que una vez fue el mayor empleador privado en Luisiana, empleaba a unos 7.500 en los años ochenta. Huntington Ingalls consolidó las operaciones en sus astilleros en Virginia y Pascagoula, Mississippi, en los últimos años. Se creía que la compañía estaba pidiendo $ 125 millones para Avondale cuando salió al mercado hace tres años. El precio supuestamente bajó a $ 95 millones más tarde.
Las dos compañías que compraron el sitio han colaborado en proyectos anteriores, incluida una en Maryland, ahora conocida como Tradepoint Atlantic. Convirtió una antigua fábrica de acero en Baltimore en un puerto multimodal que recibió inversiones por valor de $ 3 mil millones de parte de inquilinos como Under Armour y FedEx, así como un centro de distribución de Amazon. El proyecto de la parroquia de Jefferson está siendo visto con el mismo espíritu.
Mientras tanto, Huntington Ingalls planea continuar operando una oficina de ingeniería Avondale que emplea a 400 personas en el Centro de Excelencia de Tecnología Marítima de la Universidad de Nueva Orleans. El edificio es propiedad del estado y no está incluido en la propiedad comprada por Avondale Marin.
A joint venture has closed on its purchase of the former Avondale Shipyard site, paving the way for a development that could bring thousands of jobs back to Jefferson Parish.
Avondale Marine LLC, a partnership between Virginia-based T. Parker Host Inc. and Illinois-based Hilco Redevelopment Partners, bought the 254-acre property from Huntington Ingalls Industries on Wednesday. A purchase price was not disclosed.
They plan to turn it into a multimodal private terminal by redeveloping cranes and docks along the Mississippi River and connecting waterborne vessels with manufacturing, fabrication and distribution facilities onshore. The project has the potential to create 2,000 jobs, officials have said, with crane and piling capacity that could potentially support loads larger than other sites around the state.
Construction could cost hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade the facilities and prepare for tenants. Capital investment and job projections will be disclosed as development plans for the site move forward, according to a news release from Gov. John Bel Edwards’ office. He joined company officials and local elected and economic development leaders at a news conference announcing the purchase on Thursday.
The Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission and the Jefferson Parish Council have crafted an incentive package to support the project. And last month, the Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad agreed to issue a jurisdictional permit to Avondale Marine for the development, which is within the port’s jurisdiction. Avondale Marine plans to build a rail extension, and the Public Belt Railroad would connect and provide service to guarantee the site has neutral access to all Class I railroads in New Orleans.
The Parish Council last month passed a resolution that supports a PILOT agreement, or payment in lieu of tax, for the project.
The shipyard, once the largest private employer in Louisiana, employed around 7,500 in the 1980s. Huntington Ingalls consolidated operations at its shipyards in Virginia and Pascagoula, Mississippi, in recent years. The company was believed to be asking $125 million for Avondale when it went on the market three years ago. The price reportedly lowered to $95 million later on.
The two companies that purchased the site have collaborated on previous projects, including one in Maryland now known as Tradepoint Atlantic. It converted a former steel mill in Baltimore into a multimodal port that has received $3 billion worth of investments from tenants including Under Armour and FedEx, as well as an Amazon distribution center. The Jefferson Parish project is being viewed in the same spirit.
Meanwhile Huntington Ingalls plans to continue operating an Avondale engineering office that employs 400 people at the University of New Orleans Maritime Technology Center of Excellence. The building is owned by the state and not included in the property purchased by Avondale Marine. The work there supports manufacturing at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula.
Avondale Marine LLC has purchased the 254-acre property formerly known as Avondale Shipyard from Huntington Ingalls Industries. The sale of the New Orleans area shipyard was finalized on Oct. 3. It had been idle since 2014. Financial terms of Wednesday’s sale were not disclosed.
Avondale Marine is a joint venture between Virginia-based T. Parker Host and Illinois-based Hilco Redevelopment Partners. The Avondale facility, part of Huntington Ingalls Shipbuilding division, ceased its Navy shipbuilding operations in December 2014. Avondale’s UNO Maritime Center of Excellence has remained open and continues to do engineering and design work in support of Ingalls’ shipbuilding programs.
“We are very proud of our legacy at Avondale and the many contributions that generations of its shipbuilders made to our national security,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. “Ingalls will continue to maintain a presence in Louisiana, not only at the UNO Center, but also through the many Louisiana residents who commute to Pascagoula each day to help us build the ships we produce for our nation’s defense. We are pleased that Avondale Marine plans to put the facility back into commerce and look forward to its success.”
The site offers approximately 8,000′ of deepwater riverfront access and connection to six Class I railroads. Avondale Marine plans to redevelop the site’s crane, dock and terminal assets while connecting global waterborne commerce with manufacturing, fabrication and distribution facilities onshore. The company plans to develop a modern, world-class global logistics hub, with value-added manufacturing at its core, to maximize job growth and investment in the Jefferson Parish, La., area.
- Parker Host is one of the U.S.’s largest terminal operators, specializing in agency, terminal operations, and marine assets. The company has been in business for over 90 years.
Hilco Redevelopment is known for remediating and redeveloping large-scale industrial facilities across North America such as Tradepoint Atlantic, which it transformed into an East Coast multimodal port. Hilco identified Avondale as a potential redevelopment site several years ago and began working toward its acquisition.
Avondale Shipyard served as one of the nation’s most significant shipbuilding assets from before World War II until the first decade of the 21st century. Known for building large naval destroyers, the shipyard was once the largest private employer in Louisiana, with 26,000 workers at its peak. In 2010, the shipyard’s closing was announced to consolidate and reduce costs. On Feb. 3, 2014, the USS Somerset, the final Navy vessel built at the shipyard, departed from the facility.
“For generations, Avondale Shipyards has been a source of pride for the community that generated jobs and economic development,” said Adam Anderson, president and CEO of T.P. Host and principal of Avondale Marine. “Our team will unleash its potential by transforming the shipyard into a global logistics hub for intermodal commerce.”