Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett | Wikipedia
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett | Wikipedia
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is marking the groundbreaking on a new agricultural export facility on Jones Island that’s being heralded as the largest one-time investment in roughly seven decades.
“Yesterday, Port Milwaukee and the Delong Company broke ground on a nearly $35 million agricultural product export facility on Jones Island,” Barrett tweeted. “This is the largest one-time investment in the Port since the 1950s, when the St. Lawrence Seaway was being built."
Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson said it all just adds up to more of what the state is best known for.
“First, it invests in the largest city,” he told UrbanMilwaukee.com at the groundbreaking ceremony. “Second, it invests in agriculture.”
Set to be operated by DeLong, the facility is slated to be primarily used to export to Europe, the Middle East and Africa, a nutrient-rich byproduct of converting corn to ethanol. The new complex is also being looked to service the state’s nine ethanol plants along with establishments in southern Minnesota, northern Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota.
Supporters of the plan argue the timing of the expansion couldn’t be much better.
“In case you guys haven’t noticed, we are having a supply chain problem,” said Congresswoman Gwen Moore. “This is a marriage of the happy family of the city, state, Wisconsin Department of Transportation and federal government.”
In all, the federal government is set to contribute $15.89 million via a grant, WisDOT is contributing $6.15 million, the city $5.7 million and DeLong $7 million.
“As we build back better, we must continue to invest in our maritime economy,” said U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin. “Today’s groundbreaking is just the beginning.”
As part of the plan, DeLong is leasing a 4.42-acre site at 1711 S. Carferry Dr., from the city-owned port and will own the facility built atop it that the company will pay in the neighborhood of $3.5 million in lease payments for over 30 years. The facility is expected to be fully operational in April 2023.
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