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QLTS! Is it finally time for redevelopment of the Port of Fort Pierce?

Talks of building out the Port have been going for years! Now Q Lotus and Harvesttime are on the cusp of a Huge official Announcement!

QLTS Game Changer 2016

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We have good news to start the New Year, Q Lotus and Harvesttime has negotiated a one billion dollar financing for the Port of Fort Pierce Project in Florida. Definitive agreements and documentation of the financing is in progress and upon its completion, an appropriate 8k filling will be made with the Securities and Exchange Commission

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Gary A. Rosenberg
Chairman and CEO
Q Lotus Holdings Inc.
520 N. Kingsbury St, # 1810
Chicago IL, 60654

P: [phone]
C: [phone]


http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/shaping-our-future/our-growth-and-development/is-it-finally-time-for-redevelopment-of-the-port-of-fort-pierce_12218212

FORT PIERCE — After years of talking about redeveloping the Port of Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County and Fort Pierce finally are doing something about it.
A start is the $7.4 million reconstruction of North Second Street, the port’s main road, to improve drainage and install sidewalks.
The roadwork now underway paves the way for officials to start implementing recommendations in the port master plan, a document updated every 10 years outlining the port’s use. It calls for a maritime academy and an area mixing retail with light cargo compatible with the Indian River Lagoon.
St. Lucie Transportation Planning Organization included the port in its long-range plan, which makes it eligible for federal and state grants.
Both governments in May approved a $7.2 million plan to develop Fisherman’s Wharf as a buffer between the port area and residential area to the south.
St. Lucie County has applied for a $250,000 grant from the Florida Ports Council to help buy private property — developed and undeveloped. Any cost above that would be split between Fort Pierce and St. Lucie with the governments jointly owning those properties, County Administrator Howard Tipton said.
“This gives us more say in how the port is developed,” Tipton said. “This shows a combined city and county commitment to developing the port.”
TREASURE COAST IMPACT
A significant benefit of a redeveloped port could mean a return to shipping citrus out of Fort Pierce, said Doug Bournique, executive vice president of the Indian River Citrus League.
For decades, until the 1990s, citrus fruit was shipped out of the port.
About 98 percent of locally grown grapefruit now is trucked to Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Brevard County and Savannah, Georgia, and shipped to Japan, Korea and Europe.
“Shipping out of Fort Pierce would definitely save money in fuel and trucking costs, but there are things to consider such as type of shipping containers and shipping rates,” Bournique said.
For Indian River and Martin counties, the port could bring spinoff jobs and new residents, said Joe Catrambone, president and CEO of the Stuart/Martin County Chamber of Commerce.
“It could certainly open the region for tourism and cruise ship industry,” Catrambone said. “Though the jobs are located in St. Lucie, nothing would stop workers from moving elsewhere.”
While a return to citrus could give the port a major boost, ferry operation, a casino cruise boat and ocean-barge operations all could be accommodated without the need for dredging, said Rick Ferrin, former Jacksonville port director and now a consultant with TranSystems, which is helping the county redevelop the wharf.
“These vessels don’t use a lot of water, and the county won’t have to deepen the port,” Ferrin said.
The port has a permitted depth of 28 feet, and county officials have shown no interest in increasing the depth out of concern for Indian River Lagoon’s health.
http://mediaassets.tcpalm.com/photo/2015/05/22/1937portoffortpierce7_1432308011981_18676406_ver1.0_640_480.JPG
See historical photos of the Port of Fort Pierce from 1937
FINDING AN IDENTITY
But before the first ship ties up at the port, however, Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County officials must decide what they want the port to be known for, said Doug Wheeler, president and CEO of the Florida Ports Council, an advisory group representing the state’s 15 ports.
The 290-acre port — just north of downtown Fort Pierce and between the two bridges linking the city to the barrier island — has 98 acres still undeveloped. Of that, local businessman Lloyd Bell owns 67 acres, the county owns 20 and Fort Pierce owns 11. The Bell family has rejected past purchase offers, officials said. But the county- and city-owned land is more than enough to create a viable port, Wheeler said.
Bell family representatives did not return calls seeking comment.
“The focus shouldn’t be too much on the size of the vessel but the type of operation,” Wheeler said. “There are a lot of smaller vessels that are still in use that would be perfect for that port.”
The port already is home to an apartment complex, several restaurants, a marina, an RV and boat dealership and two-boat repair businesses.
In addition, Fort Pierce officials continue working with officials in Freeport, Bahamas, to create a sister-city program that would shared trade development at the port.
The port’s road and rail access could make it attractive to a shipping company, Wheeler said.
U.S. 1 forms the port’s western boundary. The port is about five miles from Interstate 95 and Florida’s Turnpike. Also, Florida East Coast Railway tracks are parallel to the port, with a spur running into the port area.
“When distributing goods, the cost to get what you make to your consumer is key,” Wheeler said. “A manufacturer is looking for the least-cost distribution method.”
BUY, SELL OR LEASE
Philosophically, local officials must choose a business model before moving too far too fast with port redevelopment.
Most Florida ports are operated in a landlord/tenant model, with the local governments owning the land and leasing it to a private developer, Ferrin said.
“This model of governance allows local governments to have a say in development and still give the public access to the water,” Ferrin.
Officials could solicit port proposals from developers. The process would seek financial information from potential operators and would indicate how much an operator would be paid.
“You want to look at a company’s finances to make sure they are viable and they can build what they say they can build,” Ferrin.
Ferrin said he supports a model where the tenants share in the cost of redeveloping the port.
“You want someone who shares your vision for what your are trying to accomplish,” Ferrin said. “The tenant should have some skin in the game.”
http://mediaassets.tcpalm.com/photo/2015/10/14/FORT_PIERCE_PORT_1_25221986_ver1.0_640_480.jpg



http://flaports.org/ports/port-of-fort-pierce/