Bids sought for Charleston Navy Base project

Bids sought for Charleston Navy Base project The South Carolina State Ports Authority said Friday it has requested bids for work to be done at the former Navy base in North Charleston where it plans to build a new cargo facility.
   The agency is seeking bids for the construction of a 5,000-foot containment structure built out about 850 feet from the existing shoreline to the main shipping channel. Working from the waterside, crews will dredge about 880,000 cubic yards of material, install the steel pipe and sheet pile wall and construct a rock berm of about 290,000 cubic yards of rock. The containment structure will be built in preparation for the placement of fill material in the tideland area of the new, 280-acre container terminal.
   The containment wall project is expected to cost about $60 million, but competitive bids are anticipated. Fourteen companies have placed their names on the pre-bid list.
   “This signals to our customers that, while we’re being mindful of the current state of trade, we are focused on the long-term success of the Port of Charleston,” said John F. Hassell III, interim president and chief executive officer of the authority.
   Meanwhile, the Charleston Regional Business Journal reported Thursday that North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey is calling for the port to be reorganized to allow the state to maintain ownership of the land but allow private companies to develop and operate the facility.