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Lt. Governor tours Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority with Russell; says 'tremendous' room for growth at port

Posted 7/19/16

OGDENSBURG -- Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul believes there is “tremendous room for growth” at the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority. Hochul visited the port with Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, …

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Lt. Governor tours Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority with Russell; says 'tremendous' room for growth at port

Posted

OGDENSBURG -- Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul believes there is “tremendous room for growth” at the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority.

Hochul visited the port with Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa, Sen. Patricia Ritchie, St. Lawrence County Legislative Chairman John Burke and Ogdensburg officials Monday morning.

"It was fantastic to have her here to see first hand the tremendous assets we have in the city of Ogdensburg," Russell said following the tour.

She also shared the importance of agriculture products to the port's success and pointed out additional value added agribusiness, such as a soybean processing plant in the region, could add to the port's success.

"We really want to grow agribusiness in the North Country," Assemblywoman Russell, a member of the New York State Assembly's Agriculture Committee, pointed out.

Wade Davis, executive director of the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority, concurred with that assessment. He said too many carriers drop product off at the port and then leave Ogdensburg empty handed for their next destination.

"Anything that is value added would be beneficial," Davis noted.

Davis led a tour of the port facility that included stops at the massive wind tower components that are headed to the Jericho Wind Farm project between Malone and Rouses Point.

The OBPA official also showcased buildings at the port that hold multiple agriculture products, an area that currently holds 20,000 tons of road salt with much more to come in before the next winter driving season and a ship registered in Amsterdam dropping off cargo at the port.

Davis said the port's major competitor is the Port of Montreal, not the port directly across the river in Prescott, Ontario, Canada.

"Our marketing effort is targeted just as much in Europe as it is here," he pointed out.

Davis said the port's recent success is a result of major investment in the port from the state, with strong support from Assemblywoman Russell and State Senator Ritchie.

He said the OBPA has seen a $6 million investment to improve its rail line over the past decade and plans call for an additional $2 million to be spent on additional improvements.

Davis said $3.2 million spent to construct a port access road allowed the port to handle the wind tower components, which will be transported from the port to Churubusco by truck.

“The road was built exactly for the oversize, over-dimensional cargo we have here today. It will meet our future needs,” he pointed out.

The next major expenditure at the port will be an $18 million project that will include dredging work to remove silt that has built up at the site since the 1960s and dock wall improvements.

“If we can have a focus on agribusiness and even have processing here, it will give us new opportunities to create jobs and establish Ogdensburg as the premiere destination for shipping along the St. Lawrence Seaway," she added, pointing out Ogdensburg is the only American port on the St. Lawrence Seaway.