Port Milwaukee Awarded Over $4.5 Million from Harbor Assistance Program for New Terminal, Dock Wall Repairs

For Immediate Release: April 6, 2022
Contact: Jonathan Fera, [email protected], (414) 286-8131

MILWAUKEE – Port Milwaukee is receiving more than $4.5 million from the State of Wisconsin’s Harbor Assistance Program (HAP) for the agricultural maritime export facility and dock wall repairs along the Jones Island Inner Mooring Basin.

“Milwaukee is an economic catalyst for the State of Wisconsin, and this funding will enhance the Port’s efforts to connect Wisconsin agriculture with world markets,” said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson. “Thank you to Governor Tony Evers for supporting Port Milwaukee and our city’s maritime economy.”

Below is a breakdown of the HAP funding awarded to Port Milwaukee:

• $1,175,000 to repair and reconstruct a section of dock wall along the Jones Island Inner Mooring Basin. This project repairs a portion of the most significantly degraded dock wall within the port.

• $3,381,000 to assist in funding the final stage of construction of a transformational $36 million agricultural maritime export facility on Port Milwaukee property leased to The DeLong Co. Inc., based in Clinton, Wisconsin. Port Milwaukee broke ground on this major project in October 2021.

Created in 1979, Wisconsin’s Harbor Assistance Program helps harbor communities maintain and improve waterborne commerce. Applications are reviewed by the Harbor Advisory Council, which includes members from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, UW Sea Grant, Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and alumni from the Great Lakes Maritime Research Institute.

Applications are accepted from public or private harbor facilities, like Port Milwaukee, for projects that benefit facilities used for cargo transfer, shipbuilding, commercial fishing, vessel cruises, or ferry service. All projects must have a transportation efficiency benefit-cost ratio greater than one over a 25-year project life and be identified in a current three-year harbor development plan. Selection criteria include economic impact, urgency, and project type.

Port Milwaukee is an economic entity of City government governed by the seven-member Board of Harbor Commissioners, a panel appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Common Council. It administers operations on the 467 acres that make up the Port. It promotes shipping and commerce throughout the region by providing access to domestic and international ships, rail, and over-the-road transportation. Learn more at portmilwaukee.com.