News & Updates
Port of Pensacola Eyes a New Inland Port
The Port of Pensacola is in active negotiations to create an inland port.
The city of Pensacola is working on a grant proposal for Triumph Gulf Coast to buy land and create the inland port north of downtown.
“So we’re excited about the idea of the inland port because that allows us to continue to grow industry and grow jobs at the port of Pensacola, while being able to move, expand and relocate additional port-type activities, but not have to do it on such a finite piece of land,” Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves told the Pensacola News Journal.
A key part of the port’s current operations are the storage of goods like the wind turbines produced at the GE Vernova plant that are later sent out by train or truck rather than by a cargo ship. An inland port would allow products like this to be stored in another location, providing the port an opportunity to grow revenue.
“I’m kind of stuffed to the gills, which is a good thing when you look at our storage fees, but for us to grow — and recognize that we’re downtown, and how we responsibly do that and operate as a cargo port, because that is my goal — that inland port is kind of my road map to additional capacity and revenue without impacting the downtown footprint,” said Port of Pensacola Port Director Lance Scott.
Creating an inland port is a multi-part process. Purchasing the land is the first step, followed by optimizing the land for best use.
Creating an inland port was considered in the past, but it didn’t gain traction to become reality.
A 2008 University of West Florida Haas Center feasibility study found the idea was feasible if Pensacola could increase the volume or value of goods coming in and out of the port. The Haas Center estimated an inland port would have an economic impact on the local economy of $19.8 million for construction and an annual operating impact of $18.8 million — adjusted for inflation to 2025, those numbers are $37.9 million for construction impact and $35.9 million for operating impact.