In August, the Joint Project Office (JPO) Board authorized the solicitations of Requests for Qualification and Expressions of Interest for Program Management Services. Six qualified firms were asked to submit bids and two bids were received. Last month the completed bids were reviewed and today the JPO Board selected Moffatt & Nichol. As Project Manager, Moffatt & Nichol will, with the involvement of several other specialty disciplines, provide preliminary terminal planning, economic analyses, market studies, and dredged material management and conceptual infrastructure planning.
“The selection of a program manager by the Joint Project Office’s Board of Directors is an important step toward meeting future shipping needs for this region,” said Jim Balloun, Chairman, JPO.
Last January, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) and the South Carolina State Port Authority (SCSPA) signed an Intergovernmental Agreement for Development of a Jasper port to contract for, jointly own, manage and plan for the development of the Jasper Ocean Terminal. The agreement further provides that the GPA and SCSPA will “jointly staff, equip, and operate a Jasper Ocean Terminal Joint Project Office.”
One member of the six member JPO Board of Directors is appointed by each state’s governor, two members are appointed by each port’s board chairman from his board of directors. Additionally, a member of each Governor’s staff and the executive director of the GPA and the president of the SCPA serve as ex officio, non-voting members. Current members of the JPO Board are as follows: James (Jim) S. Balloun, Board Chair (GA); William (Bill) Bethea, Jr. Board Vice Chair (SC); Steve Green (GA); Bernard (Bernie) S. Groseclose (SC); James (Jim) R. Lientz (GA); Doug J. Marchand (GA); Alex Poitevint (GA); David (Dave) J. Posek (SC); Bill Stern (SC); E. Brandon Gaskins(SC).
“We are excited about moving forward on a project that will help build the long-term viability of international trade in our region, create jobs and promote new economic opportunities,” said Balloun.
In July, the GPA and the SCSPA completed the joint acquisition of 1,518 acres of land from the Georgia Department of Transportation for the development of the Jasper Ocean Terminal on the Savannah River in Jasper County.
“The first step for the program manager will be to focus on feasibility studies to support the release and relocation of the existing Corps of Engineers’ easements currently located on the parcels of the Jasper Ocean Terminal study site” said Bill Bethea, JPO Board Vice-Chairman. “We will also continue the studies to establish the feasibility and cost of building a container terminal in Jasper County and begin preliminary planning for the Terminal Site itself” said Bill Bethea.
The original “term sheet” signed last year by both Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford provides that the JPO will work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release existing spoil easements from the Jasper Terminal study site. As called for by Governors Perdue and Sanford last year, the JPO will concentrate on ways to use private capital in the construction of Jasper Ocean Terminal.
