North Gulfport Port Expansion

The North Gulfport region in Mississippi is famed for its wonderful fishing.  Even with the devastating damage to the areas reputation caused by Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill, the region continues to be a fishing industry hotspot.

Local officials have proposed expanding the port of Gulfport in order to jumpstart local industry. Local community leaders are opposing this move, saying the funds that would be used on this expansion would be better spent on reconstructing and repairing communities directly impacted by Katrina.

The economic justification for expanding the port rests on the upcoming expansion of the Panama Canal.  Some argue that a portion of the increase of ship traffic up the East Coast will stop at the newly improved Port of Gulfport, bringing additional economic activity to the area.

Part of the project would be the expansion of the local rail lines to a full six tracks.  These would be needed to transport the Chinese goods unloaded from the ships in Mississippi to the rest of the country.

If this plan was implemented, it does seem likely it would spur economic growth.  Initially it would be the construction jobs to actually perform the expansion of the port and railroads.  Once this was complete there would be ongoing employment for dockhands loading and unloading the huge cargo vessels.

Storage capacity in the area would have to be increased.  Local refrigerator sizes and capacities would have to be increased greatly to handle imported perishables, and not just fish caught in neighboring waters.

All grown in the North Gulfport community comes at a cost however.  Poor neighborhoods in the area would be sliced and diced by the increased amount of rail and truck traffic.  While some would benefit from the additional jobs and others from customers having more to spend at local businesses, there is always a group left out of the benefits of economic growth.

These people would suffer all the downsides and none of the upside.  If the decision is made to go ahead with the expansion, attempts should be made to accommodate these citizens and ensure all share the bounty this project potentially offers.

Posted in Community