Destination 2040, a strategic master plan
A collaborative effort to shape the future of Philadelphia's Port
Philadelphia Regional Port Authority
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Philadelphia, United States
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2022-2024
Strategic master plan with a 15-year planning horizon
Increase port's capacity to handle and extra 2 million TEUs
Create an estimated 9,000 new direct jobs and more than 10,000 induced and indirect jobs
Projected to generate over $2.84 billion in new business and revenue and $170 million in new state and local taxes.
Challenges
- The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PhilaPort) is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which, alongside private operators, manages, maintains, and markets multiple marine terminals on the Delaware River.
- PhilaPort has experienced intensified competition and steady growth in cargo volumes over the past decade, with an annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8%. As cargo volumes continue to increase, the Port must build the necessary capacity to accommodate future growth.
- PhilaPort needed to identify and prioritize its next generation of capital projects and initiatives to ensure improvement across a wide spectrum of metrics including cargo volume, port competitiveness, workforce development and diversity, and sustainability.
Solutions
- Engaged to support development of the PhilaPort Strategic Plan (PSP) and provide a systematic framework for decision making. Created and executed interactive working sessions to develop a shared vision.
- Conducted multiple assessments, analyses, and studies to determine a preferred development scenario based on infrastructure maintenance and repair needs, terminal capacity, cost competitiveness (against six other major East Coast ports), and forecasts on container, bulk, and breakbulk commodities over the 15-year planning horizon.
- Conducted an extensive stakeholder outreach process, engaging with the Port’s tenants and customers, labor unions, local elected officials, and others through a series of one-on-one interviews, online surveys, and interactive workshops.
- Synthesized results of various infrastructure assessments, a capacity analysis, a market study, and stakeholder engagement processes to create a series of future development scenarios. Refined the options down to one single preferred scenario using a triple-bottom-line analysis framework and evaluation criteria developed earlier in the project.
- Developed a comprehensive capital program for the preferred development scenario, including high-level cost estimates, project phasing and sequencing, and the identification of potential funding partners. Created the final, public-facing PhilaPort Strategic Plan: Destination 2040 document, including content and graphic design.
- Oversight of six separate project subconsultants, including Anchor Consultants, AKRF, CHPlanning, John Martin Associates, Karp Strategies, and Michael Barker International.
Highlights
- Designed the PSP to guide the Port’s infrastructure development, ensuring growth, sustainability, and prosperity for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the surrounding region.
- Identified, prioritized, and sequenced over $2 billion dollars in projects and initiatives over the plan’s 15-year planning horizon.
- By 2040, the PSP is set to deliver significant benefits, including a substantial increase in warehouse space and the capacity to handle an extra 2 million TEUs. It is also expected to create nearly 9,000 new direct jobs along with more than 10,000 additional induced and indirect jobs.
- Projected to generate over $2.84 billion in new business revenue and nearly $170 million in new state and local taxes.
- For more information about PhilaPort and the PhilaPort Strategic Plan: Destination 2040, please visit PhilaPort Strategic Plan: Destination 2040 | PhilaPort
"As we embark on this journey toward 2040, I am filled with optimism and anticipation. The importance of this plan to the future of the Port cannot be overstated. It will guide our decisions, shape our actions, and determine our priorities. It will help us navigate the challenges ahead and seize the opportunities that come our way."
"The global trade and logistics arena is ever-changing, demanding that we be visionary in our approach to planning for the future. The strategic plan features the key projects and initiatives that we must undertake to ensure that PhilaPort remains a competitive, vibrant, and resilient port in the years to come."
Project Numbers
$2 billion dollars in projects and initiatives identified15-year planning horizon
2 million TEUs in additional capacity
9,000 new direct jobs
10,000 additional induced and indirect jobs
$2.84 billion in new business revenue
$170 million in new state and local taxes