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Port of South Louisiana | 11
increased the runway to 5,000 feet to accom-
modate business jets.”
Aucoin said the port fuels economic
growth both by being a vehicle to help com-
panies move cargo, and by incentivizing
companies to relocate. More than $60 billion
worth of projects are in the discussion stages,
and, while he conceded the port won’t land
all of them, it’ll do well enough to make an
impact.
A research study to examine the port’s
specific economic footprint is in the works
as well.
Internally, and with an eye toward tenant
attraction, money has been earmarked to up-
grade the port’s three existing warehouse fa-
cilities, and an application has been made to
the state for funding to build a new $12 mil-
lion warehouse for one of the existing ten-
ants with plans to expand their operations.
Additionally, an on-site 140,000-square-
foot warehouse that had been sold to a pri-
vate company was re-purchased by the port
and will be available to interested lease ten-
ants within the next few months.
“You’re talking about jobs – and that’s
economic growth,” he said. “We’re an eco-
nomic engine that creates jobs. We still have
a lot of land left and we’re seeing that now
with all the prospects that we have kicking
the tires, so to speak, and looking to locate
here. If we get $30 or $40 billion, that’s a
whole bunch of capital expenditure that will
create jobs.”