Port of Philadelphia releases request for qualifications for Southport developers

Three waterfront properties are available for development as the port eyes both conventional cargo and shale oil and gas.    The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) on Thursday released a request for qualifications (RFQ) inviting interested parties in the private sector to partner with it in developing Southport, a project to establish one or more new maritime businesses along the Delaware River.
   Three waterfront sites collectively comprise the Southport complex: the Southport Marine Terminal site (119 acres); Southport West (75 acres); and the Pier 124 North Berth, a 1,132-foot finger pier.
   The port authority said with state support it has completed substantial pre-construction and permitting work at the sites in anticipation of private development.
   The RFQ will be followed by a request for proposals and the port authority said it is crafting the process “to encourage a full range of maritime commerce cargo opportunities.”
   The RFQ released today discusses both conventional cargo and the potential for terminals serving the energy industry, noting that Philadelphia is located less than 400 miles from the Marcellus-Utica gas fields, providing “the opportunity to establish an export outlet for the natural gas and natural gas liquid products being produced.”