The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay has entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement (PSA) to acquire the former Georgia Pacific Mill site in Eastside. The Port and the current owner, CDC Inc. of St. Louis, Missouri have negotiated the terms of the agreement with the goal of job creation on Oregon’s South Coast. The acquisition will allow the port to rehabilitate the site and return it to service. The primary function of the facility would be to move goods and commodities through maritime, rail, and trucking for both domestic and international markets. The Port is currently working with multiple businesses with an interest in moving products and commodities through the Port of Coos Bay to avoid congestion and its associated costs and inefficiencies found at other West Coast Ports.
Port officials say the facility will give the port access to a wharf, yard footprint, and rail service to facilitate regional economic development in a more effective manner. With that, it is expected the acquisition will create jobs and economic diversity. Port officials say the closure of the mill and the future closure of Shutter Creek Correctional Institution will impact the community significantly. CEO John Burns says the facility will create well-paying family-wage jobs like longshore labor, yard workers, cargo handlers, and additional rail line crews. The sale could be completed before the end of the year. Once it is finalized, the Port will conduct additional environmental, permitting, engineering, and design work prior to initiating construction.