The Jefferson County Port Authority (JCPA) has purchased approximately 18 acres along the Mississippi River in Herculaneum, Missouri. Acquired for $20 million, the site will be the first publicly-owned terminal facility in Jefferson County. It will serve as a catalyst for various other infrastructure improvements tied to further port development.
“The port facility and surrounding acreage anchors a broader 300-acre site that earlier this year received Port District zoning, making way for redevelopment as an intermodal transportation hub and industrial park,” said Jim McNichols, Executive Director of the Jefferson County Port Authority. “This latest deal marks a significant step forward in those efforts.”
“It has taken significant time, effort and collaboration over the last two years to make this deal a reality,” said Derrick Good, President of the Board of Directors for the Jefferson County Port Authority.
In 2022, JCPA received $25 million in funding from the State of Missouri to help support port development. This funding allowed JCPA to enter into this agreement and begin planning for infrastructure improvements to the site. The planned upgrades include construction of a new road that will create a new entryway to improve ingress and egress at the port facility, providing a direct link from the bridge over Joachim Creek to the dock for industrial traffic. A new Broadway Extension Road, new sewer infrastructure, additional dock improvements, new pavement and a new retaining wall are also planned.
The investments in the multimodal port facility will help support the continued transportation of bulk commodities via barge, rail and truck, while continuing to pave the way for the ultimate arrival of innovative Container-on-Vessel (COV) service that will operate on the new, all-water, north-south trade lane connecting the Midwest and the St. Louis region to the lower Mississippi River and on to worldwide destinations.
CSI Leasing To Relocate HQ To Weldon Spring
CSI Leasing, Inc. is relocating its global headquarters from Creve Coeur to a more than 138,000-square-foot facility in Weldon Spring.
“We have grown our headcount by 10 percent in the last 18 months and I anticipate this rapid pace to continue,” said Steve Hamilton, Chairman and CEO of CSI Leasing. “Our building in Creve Coeur has served us well over the last 20+ years, but we have outgrown it and need to plan for our future. Our main goals with our new home are to provide better working conditions and amenities for all our existing employees to ensure their time spent at work is productive and enjoyable, and to accommodate new employees over at least the next 10 years. We very much appreciate the cooperation and support of the City of Weldon Spring, the St. Charles County Economic Development Council, and the State of Missouri that helped facilitate CSI’s decision to remain in Missouri and establish its global headquarters in St. Charles County.”
“We’re pleased to see an industry leader like CSI Leasing investing and creating jobs in Weldon Spring,” said Governor Mike Parson. “After visiting CSI Leasing’s parent company in Japan last year, it was apparent that the company values strong international relationships. We congratulate CSI Leasing on its success and look forward to its future growth in the St. Louis region.”
Currently, 185 of CSI’s more than 1,600 employees occupy its building in Creve Coeur. The company’s new building will provide an enhanced working environment for local employees and more space for meetings, while allowing room for continued staff additions. CSI anticipates adding 25 new jobs at Weldon Spring in the near future. New jobs added at CSI’s new location will pay an average wage well above the county average.
CSI purchased its new building and 13 surrounding acres from Enterprise Holdings, which used the facility as a technology hub. The location is currently being modified to suit the company’s needs, with a goal to move to the new space by September 2024. CSI’s new headquarters will have four floors of office space and a lower amenity floor that will include a fitness center, locker room facilities, a large cafeteria, and several meeting rooms. A large outdoor patio will lead to a wooded walking trail.
