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Some good news for deep southern Illinois

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* From the Alexander Cairo Port District…

The construction of a new inland port at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers took another step forward today as the Alexander Cairo Port District completed a project labor agreement (PLA) with the Illinois AFL-CIO. The project labor agreement ensures that more than 500 jobs created by the construction of the Cairo port will be filled by local Illinois union workers.

The Alexander-Cairo port represents one of the largest investments in Southern Illinois in decades. Eighty percent of the nation’s inland barge traffic travels past Cairo, and the site is served by three major interstate highways and class 1 rail lines so this new project is expected to have a major impact on the U.S. shipping and logistics industry and the regional economy. Cairo is protected from flooding by recently reinforced levees and remains a deep, ice-free site year-round.

“The Cairo port district represents the best of Rebuild Illinois: investing in not only infrastructure, but also jobs and economic prosperity for a region left out for far too long,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Thanks to the Alexander Cairo Port District and the Illinois AFL-CIO, more than 500 Illinois workers and their families will have access to good union jobs in the next stages of the port’s construction – opportunities that couldn’t come at a better time for the people of Illinois. Our building trades are top notch, and I have every faith the team on the ground will deliver the state-of-the-art infrastructure Southern Illinois deserves.”

“With the inclusion of this PLA, we know that these well-paying construction jobs will go to Illinoisans, boosting our local economy and investing in the region,” said State Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg). “I am confident that Alexander-Cairo port will be game-changing for our state, spurring additional economic development and growth. With such a big undertaking, we could not move forward with this project without the incredible local labor workforce of Southern Illinois spearheading its development.”

“The Cairo Port is exactly the kind of project Illinois needs,” said Tim Drea, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO. “This port has the potential to transform the region and the men and women of Illinois organized labor have the talent to build it. Our craftsmen and tradesmen are second to none and we can’t wait to show it yet again on the Cairo Port project.”

“All the construction trades in our region are proud to see the Cairo port moving forward and are thrilled to be part of the project,” said Tate Wright of the Egyptian Building & Construction and Building Trades Council. “This port will use our location at the confluence of America’s two largest rivers to drive jobs, industry and investment to Southern Illinois.”

“We are ensuring that the jobs and economic growth created by this port flow back to Cairo and the surrounding region,” said Larry Klein, chairman of the Alexander Cairo Port District. “This labor agreement is another reason why the Cairo Port will be a game changer for Southern Illinois.”

“We are building a world-class port in Cairo and need the highest quality labor force to make it happen,” said Todd Ely, lead consultant for the port district and president of Ely Consulting Group. “We know we can depend on the women and men of Illinois’ building trades to make this project a success.”

In August 2020, Governor JB Pritzker announced that the Rebuild Illinois capital plan would provide $40 million in state funding for construction of the port. The Port District is securing additional private investment and will structure the Cairo port as a public-private partnership.

Major logistics and commodities businesses have already committed to using the new port to move crops, container shipments and bulk products once it is completed.

That could be transformational for the region. Too often, these projects are all talk and no action. But Sen. Fowler has done a remarkable job at seeing this through. Legislators in both parties can learn something from that guy.

But, hey, governor, maybe it’s time to figure out how to get more people vaccinated in Alexander County? Just 10.6 percent of residents there are fully vaxed right now, so they’re still in last place in the state. The statewide vaccination rate was 29.75 percent as of yesterday.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 11:50 am

Comments

This is great news for Southern Illinois. It will help spur other projects as well. Such as the Southwest Connector.

https://www.siconnector.com/

Comment by The Fellow Edgar Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 11:56 am
How is the Governor supposed to overcome the pervasive COVID is a hoax and all this public health stuff is unnecessary. Seems like the Republicans…especially the ones who have been vaccinated need to step up.

Great development news though!

Comment by Sideline Watcher Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 12:08 pm
===How is the Governor supposed to overcome the===

Um, that’s the job of public health.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 12:11 pm
==Southwest Connector==

Decades ago when I moved to Illinois my then-father-in-law, an Ullin native / SUIC grad, said that road would never be built. At the intersection of IL 4 & IL 13, do you go east on 13 or south on 4? Does it end at Murphysboro or Carbondale? He said the “losing” side in those decisions would rather not see the road built at all. Hopefully they’ve gotten past that.

Comment by Anyone Remember Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 12:27 pm
– Hopefully they’ve gotten past that. –

Yes, and now it’s expanded to trying to harm the entire state, including themselves, if they don’t get everything they want.

They’ve gotten past it for sure. Just not in the correct direction.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 12:49 pm
I wonder how many of those 500 jobs will come out of the housing projects in Cairo. I might even bet not a half dozen will come out of Cairo.

Comment by Blue Dog Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 12:52 pm
Will there be opportunities for the unemployed in the area to get training in order to be employed on this project? that would be a big boost for the folks living there.

Comment by Nearly Normal Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 12:56 pm
Regarding the Southwest Connector. Senator Duckworth and Durbin are now both actively supporting it.

https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases/duckworth-discusses-the-american-jobs-plan-and-transportation-infrastructure-with-southwest-illinois-officials

Comment by The Fellow Edgar Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 12:57 pm
It’s great to see that the diligent work of Mr. Ely and others is coming to fruition on this. This has been an economic development version of the game Jenga, but they are pulling it off.

Comment by levivotedforjudy Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 1:51 pm
===I might even bet not a half dozen will come out of Cairo. ===

While who winds up with the construction jobs and the permanent jobs is a topic worth discussion and more might need to be done to help the folks already living in Cairo, for my most recent knowledge Cairo doesn’t even have a gas station. So literally just about any services, restaurants, or other businesses that might be added as a result of the development of the in-land port would be an improvement over what is there now.

We don’t have a planned economy and shouldn’t be expecting an infrastructure project to do the same thing as basic income.

Comment by Candy Dogood Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 1:57 pm
== I wonder how many of those 500 jobs will come out of the housing projects in Cairo.==
I wonder how many people won’t have to move to public housing projects but will be able to remain in their homes because of this.

Comment by Fly like an eagle Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 2:59 pm
The area needs a boost. I hope this all works out once it’s built.

Comment by Tallone Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 8:46 pm