"Port Everglades is creating jobs at a time when jobs are severely needed," said Broward County Mayor Stacy Ritter. "Our seaport is an economic engine that keeps commerce moving and people employed."

Tran Construction, Inc., of Miami, Fla., won the bid for the Phases VIIA and VIII cargo terminals in the Southport area at Port Everglades in the amount of $12.3 million including contingencies. Florida state grants are funding up to half of this economic stimulus project.

The terminal is expected to be completed by early 2010. The scope of work includes earthwork (site clearing and preloading), installation of water, sewer, and storm drainage systems, paving, electrical (high mast lighting system) and fencing. This project will increase cargo yards at Port Everglades by 15 percent from existing acreage.

Approximately 227 construction jobs will be supported through the Southport Phase VIIA and VIII project. Once completed, preliminary estimates show that an estimated 254 direct jobs and 14,623 total jobs will be supported by the new cargo terminal, which will result in more than $494 million in personal income. Business activity is projected to reach $1.4 billion annually, with more than $45 million generated in state and local taxes.

"The new containerized cargo terminal is part of the Port's Master/Vision Plan. The Plan also includes future near-dock rail for efficient transport of cargo, which makes this terminal especially attractive," says Port Everglades Director Phillip C. Allen. "Containerized cargo tonnage at Port Everglades has increased 92 percent in the past six years. And while we have noticed the market softening in recent months, we must be ready for the future, which we believe is quite promising."

Containerized cargo, at 6.58 million tons and 985,095 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) during Fiscal Year 2008 (October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008), has been on a steady upswing at Port Everglades, almost doubling since FY2002.

"Our global marketing efforts will increase as we actively pursue new shipping lines and terminal operators for this new project. We are also looking to expand existing container cargo services that may need additional space to grow their businesses," said Carlos Buqueras, Port Everglades Director of Business Development.

In addition to this new cargo terminal, construction work is already taking place around the clock at Port Everglades with the building of the new Vecenergy petroleum terminal and expansion of Cruise Terminal 18.

Vecenergy, the Vecellio Group's Energy Division based in West Palm Beach, Fla., is nearing completion of a new state-of-the-art petroleum terminal at Port Everglades. The new Vecenergy terminal, which is on privately-owned land within the Port's jurisdictional area, will contain 11 petroleum storage tanks totaling 1.35 million barrels (56.7 million gallons) of bulk fuel capacity. Petroleum products, including alternative fuels, will be dispensed to tanker trucks through a loading rack and delivered to Fort Lauderdale and Miami airports by pipeline. As the first new terminal at the Port since the 1970s, the facility will increase the Port's petroleum capacity by more than 10 percent. Locally based companies; Ranger Construction, Gonzalez & Sons Equipment, Shah Drotos & Associates, and TEC Serv LLC, are the primary contractors for Vecenergy.

Cruise Terminal 18 is being expanded from 67,500 square feet to 240,000 square feet in time for the November 2009 arrival of the first of the world's two largest cruise ships, Royal Caribbean International's $1.24 billion Oasis of the Seas. The second Oasis-class cruise ship, Allure of the Seas, at an estimated cost of $1.4 billion, is scheduled to arrive the following year. Both ships will sail year-round from Port Everglades, which is expected to become the busiest cruise port in the world.

The $75 million cruise terminal expansion project includes separate areas for simultaneous embarkation and debarkation, a transportation area for buses, taxis and other passenger vehicles, two new passenger loading bridges and 1,000 parking spaces. As part of the agreement, the cruise line will fund capital expenditures plus interest at 6.5 percent for expansion and related infrastructure needs of Cruise Terminal 18. Once completed, Cruise Terminal 18 will be largest cruise terminal in the world dedicated to servicing a single ship. During the construction of Terminal 18, an estimated 1,414 new construction jobs will be created. The contractor is Hewett-Kier Construction Inc. and the architect is Bermello Ajamil & Partners, Inc.

As one of South Florida's leading economic powerhouses, Port Everglades is the gateway for international trade and cruise vacations. Already one of the three busiest cruise ports worldwide, Port Everglades is also Florida's leading container port. And, Port Everglades is South Florida's main seaport for receiving petroleum products including, gasoline, jet fuel and alternative fuels. The Port Everglades Department is a self-supporting Enterprise Fund of Broward County government with operating revenues of more than $117 million in Fiscal Year 2008 (October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008). It does not rely on local tax dollars for operations. The total value of economic activity at Port Everglades surpasses almost $18 billion. Approximately 200,000 Florida jobs are impacted by the Port, including 11,620 people who work for companies that provide direct services to Port Everglades.

More information on Port Everglades, which is governed by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners, is available at www.broward.org/port , e-mailing PortEverglades@broward.org , or by calling 954-523-3404.