Yuma eyed for seaport terminal

Just as plans for a deep-sea port at Punta Colonet off the coast of Mexico have been revived, talk has resurfaced about a potential rail warehouse and redistribution facility in Yuma County.

While a study of a possible multimodal logistics center is in its infancy, the draft was presented to Yuma-area stakeholders Thursday. The final version is expected to be completed by spring.

Such a multimodal complex would add value to freight service and could ensure the railroad would stop in Yuma County, Dale Miller, associate in charge for Wilbur Smith Associates, told board members of the Greater Yuma Port Authority.

That would be true whether the Punta Colonet port is ever built or not, he said. The study is looking at both scenarios to support Yuma County as a preferred location in southern Arizona.

A multimodal logistics center is where shipping containers would be taken off trains, unloaded and the goods sorted, warehoused, perhaps processed and then distributed to markets around the region and nation either by train or truck.

The idea for a multimodal center first came up in 2006 during the economic boom when existing ports were overwhelmed. At the time, there was considerable interest in developing the new seaport and a railroad to move the goods to U.S. markets.

A multimodal center would have provided an economic boost to the Yuma area rather than just have the trains pass through without stopping, Gary Magrino, board chairman of the Greater Yuma Port Authority, said at the time.

It's an idea that still has merit, Miller said. And as the economy appears to be starting to recover, there is renewed interest. The Mexican government has issued a modified bid solicitation that is due Tuesday.

It would be years before the economy recovers enough to justify the new port, Miller said. But the study was undertaken by the Arizona Department of Transportation Multimodal Planning Division and the CanaMex Task Force to be poised for when the time is right.

"We're just studying the global and regional feasibility," Miller empathized. "We're not down to site selection. It is safe to say it will be on a rail line, new or existing."

There is competition by other communities along the southern Arizona border, noted Charlene FitzGerald, executive director of Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organiza- tion.

"The study was being expanded to all of southern Arizona," she said. "We wanted to bring the focus back on Yuma."

Miller responded that Yuma County makes the most sense.

"Yuma holds the most advantages," he said. It is the center of a large population base both in Southern California and the Sun Corridor, the anticipated large metropolitan area in Arizona expected to form as Phoenix, Tucson and even Prescott and Nogales all grow into each other.

Yuma also is situated on Union Pacific's Sunset rail line, and Interstate 8 provides highway access.

In addition, Miller said, "Yuma County is the optimal place for rail entry into the U.S. from Punta Colonet. Retailers would like to get their goods across the border from the port as quickly as possible for security and value."

Miller stressed that a new port at Punta Colonet "is not a sure thing."

But even if it doesn't happen, he said, there still is a need for a multimodal logistics center in the Southwest to handle cargo coming from Long Beach in California.

When the proposed port and railroad were first made public, the plans generated a lot of controversy in the Yuma area because of concerns a new railroad would cut through farmland and increase air pollution.

Miller said meetings will be held with the various stakeholders, many of them one on one, to address concerns about any possible route.

As for environmental issues, he said that is one factor the multimodal study is looking at closely with "green" pressure from the federal government and major retailers.

"Walmart and other retailers that move massive amounts of goods anticipate there will be more requirements coming," Miller said. Consequently, they're putting pressure on shippers to become more "green" with a small carbon footprint of pollution.

"And shippers are responding to demands of Walmart," he said. "The shippers know where their business is. If Walmart says greener, they will respond. I would put green equal to cost and time to move the goods."

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TO COMMENT

• Marisa Paula Walker, CanaMex coordinator, marisawalker@azcommerce.com
• Dale Miller, consultant, demiller@wilbursmith.com