A Night at the College Inn (Houma)
November 21, 2011
Southdown Marketplace a shopper’s delight
November 22, 2011
Nearly 19 months after the deadly BP Deepwater horizon explosion and oil spill that severely impacted activity at the Port of Terrebonne, officials say signs of improvement are being noticed.
The Terrebonne Port Commission currently has eight tenants on 190 acres of developed property on its 680-acre site off Industrial Boulevard in Houma.
“I’ve still got another 480 [acres] left to develop,” Terrebonne Port Commission Executive Director David Rabalais said of the opportunities for marine-related companies.
Rabalais said port operations between November 2010 and November 2011 have been better than the previous year. “Things are starting to move a little bit,” he said. “I think the oil field is starting to recover, slowly. It is not anywhere near what it was before the oil spill, but things are starting to move and everybody is talking positive.”
During the past year, the Terrebonne Port Commission saw the completion of a $27.5 million dredging and site improvement project for LaShip, and dry dock work at ThomaSea. Additional capital projects are currently in the bidding stage.
There is currently 27 acres of waterfront property available at the Port of Terrebonne with an additional 20 non-waterfront acres open, according to Rabalais. “I haven’t gotten anyone for them, but I’ve had a lot of people asking and that has not happened for a long time,” he said.
Activity at the Port of Terrebonne generates approximately 1,000 jobs and, according to Rabsalais represents the creation of 1.5 jobs in the community at large for everyone at the port.
The Port of Terrebonne is strategically located adjacent to the Houma Navigational Canal and the Intracoastal Waterway with a direct route to the Gulf of Mexico and Port Fourchon.
The Port of Terrebonne is developing a cooperative agreement with the Port of Fourchon to establish an east-west channel across Terrebonne Bay. The arrangement would benefit both ports and neighboring Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes.
Rabalais did not have numbers available, but said that the Intracoastal Waterway transports huge amounts of cargo past the Port of Terrebonne. He would like to see the development of facilities to expand activity beyond petroleum and into other consumer goods. Rabalais is also a proponent of deepening the Houma Navigational Canal, which he contends will add increased shipping opportunities to the region.
The Terrebonne Port Commission carries responsibility of all waterways in Terrebonne Parish in addition to the port. Rabalais said that opportunities exist if more of those waterways are made navigable to commercial vessels.
Factors that make for the success of this port, the executive director said are directly related to the overall economy. “When the economy is thriving the port is thriving,” Rabalais said. “Ours is all oil and gas. So, when oil and gas declines, we don’t expand. When oil and gas is prosperous then we expand. We kind of follow the industry. I just know it is improving because I got people calling and my tenants are all operating and not laying people off. Some of them are starting to hire. It is all good signs.”
LaShip offers an example of expansion opportunities with the Terrebonne Port Commission. The Port of Terrebonne offers strategic placement with the Houma Navigational Canal and Intracoastal Waterway with a direct connection to the Gulf of Mexico. COURTESY PHOTO
