Facility Expansion: Miami
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$33 Million in Future State Grant Allocations Committed to PortMiami
PortMiami is due to receive Florida state grants totaling $33 million over the next five years. The good news comes as the port is reporting another record-breaking year for both cargo and cruise passengers. The infusion of state funds will help ensure the port can effectively respond to future growth.
PortMiami data for the fiscal year ending September 30 show container traffic totaling just over 1.0 million TEUs, an increase of 2 percent from FY 2014-15 that followed a year-earlier increase of 14 percent. The FY 2015-16 cruise passenger count reached a record high of 4.98 million.
The positive performance report comes as PortMiami starts receiving ships via the expanded Panama Canal.
Some $1.3 billion has been invested to dredge and widen PortMiami’s shipping channel to 50/52 feet (15/16 meters), complete a new port tunnel, acquire four super-post-Panamax cranes and build an on-port rail link.
Royal Caribbean Cruises is working a $200 million expansion that includes a new cruise terminal as part of a public-private partnership. Carnival Cruise Lines’ Vista and Regent Seven Seas’ Explorer will make their Miami debuts this this winter. MSC Cruises plans to homeport its MSC Seaside in Miami beginning in winter 2017. Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Voyages will deploy one of its three new ships on seven-day Caribbean itineraries from PortMiami in 2020.
The state grant allocations will help fund the expansion to Cruise Terminal F into a mega cruise facility capable of processing than 5,000 cruise passengers at a time. State funds will also be used to purchase three additional Super-Post-Panamax cranes and for cargo terminal upgrades.
"I want to thank our state and local leaders for their support in securing the $33 million in future State grant allocations for PortMiami," said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. "Our port is a vital economic engine for not only Miami-Dade County, but all of South Florida and its continued growth represents thousands of jobs and increased opportunities for our community."
PortMiami is due to receive Florida state grants totaling $33 million over the next five years. The good news comes as the port is reporting another record-breaking year for both cargo and cruise passengers. The infusion of state funds will help ensure the port can effectively respond to future growth.
PortMiami data for the fiscal year ending September 30 show container traffic totaling just over 1.0 million TEUs, an increase of 2 percent from FY 2014-15 that followed a year-earlier increase of 14 percent. The FY 2015-16 cruise passenger count reached a record high of 4.98 million.
The positive performance report comes as PortMiami starts receiving ships via the expanded Panama Canal.
Some $1.3 billion has been invested to dredge and widen PortMiami’s shipping channel to 50/52 feet (15/16 meters), complete a new port tunnel, acquire four super-post-Panamax cranes and build an on-port rail link.
Royal Caribbean Cruises is working a $200 million expansion that includes a new cruise terminal as part of a public-private partnership. Carnival Cruise Lines’ Vista and Regent Seven Seas’ Explorer will make their Miami debuts this this winter. MSC Cruises plans to homeport its MSC Seaside in Miami beginning in winter 2017. Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Voyages will deploy one of its three new ships on seven-day Caribbean itineraries from PortMiami in 2020.
The state grant allocations will help fund the expansion to Cruise Terminal F into a mega cruise facility capable of processing than 5,000 cruise passengers at a time. State funds will also be used to purchase three additional Super-Post-Panamax cranes and for cargo terminal upgrades.
"I want to thank our state and local leaders for their support in securing the $33 million in future State grant allocations for PortMiami," said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. "Our port is a vital economic engine for not only Miami-Dade County, but all of South Florida and its continued growth represents thousands of jobs and increased opportunities for our community."
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