DULUTH, Minn. — A newly constructed 56,000-square-foot warehouse opened at the Clure Public Marine Terminal this month, featuring five truck bays and an enclosed railcar dock.
The new structure expands an existing 88,000-square-foot East Warehouse Annex, which opened in 2002, and brings total warehousing capacity for Duluth Cargo Connect to over 500,000 square feet. The new construction is part of a multifaceted $20.3 million project at the Clure Terminal that also includes 850 linear feet of dock wall reconstruction for two of the facility’s ship berths. Dock wall reconstruction is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2024.
“The Clure Terminal serves as our region’s multimodal logistics hub and general cargo terminal, so it plays a critical role in supporting our port and regional industry,” said Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “Warehousing is an important component of what we provide at the terminal, allowing cargo to flow in and out efficiently to suit customers’ supply chain needs. Opening this new warehouse is a win for the port and for the region as a whole, and we’re very grateful to the federal and state officials and legislators who championed funding for this project.”
Investment came from a combination of sources including the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program, the Minnesota Port Development Assistance Program and the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. Adolfson & Peterson Construction served as the warehouse project construction manager.
“Warehousing capacity is in very high demand nationwide, and that’s certainly true here in Duluth-Superior as well,” said Jonathan Lamb, president of Duluth Cargo Connect. “This warehouse expansion allows us to meet more of that demand and create more flexible supply chain solutions for our customers.”
Notes: Formally opened in 1959 on Rice’s Point as the St. Lawrence Seaway’s western terminus, the 120-acre Clure Public Marine Terminal is named in honor of Arthur M. Clure, the first president of the Duluth Port Authority after its reactivation by the Duluth City Council in 1954 … The Clure Terminal’s initial construction cost was $10 million … The first full shipload of inbound general cargo arriving at the Clure Terminal in 1959 included 350 cases of German beer, steel wire, window glass, bailer twine and several automobiles … The Duluth Seaway Port Authority owns the Clure Terminal; Lake Superior Warehousing operates the terminal assets. Duluth Cargo Connect is a working partnership of the Port Authority and Lake Superior Warehousing.
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Approximately 800 vessels and 35 million short tons of cargo move through the Port of Duluth-Superior each year, making it the Great Lakes’ largest tonnage port and one of the nation’s top 20. The port supports more than 7,000 jobs and contributes $1.3 billion in business revenue to the regional economy. Learn more at DuluthPort.com.