HERCULANEUM, MO. — The Jefferson County Port Authority (JCPA) has purchased approximately 18 acres along the Mississippi River in Herculaneum, a southern suburb of St. Louis. Riverview Commerce Park LLC (RCP), along with the operations of RCP, sold the acreage in a $20 million transaction. The site will serve as the first publicly owned terminal facility in Jefferson County. The port terminal at RCP is situated below any lock and dam system, providing a direct shot to the Gulf of Mexico. The terminal has more than 3,000 square feet of rail spur, located directly off the Union Pacific Railroad, and is less than two miles from I-55.
The port facility and surrounding acreage anchors a broader 300-acre site that received Port District zoning earlier this year, making way for redevelopment as an intermodal transportation hub and industrial park. Under the terms of the deal, the port facility will continue to be operated by RCP in partnership with JCPA. Approximately 1 million tons of freight moved through the port in 2023.
In 2022, JCPA received $25 million in funding from the State of Missouri to help support port development. This funding enabled 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. RFPs will be released in the near future for the planned roadway improvements and other infrastructure investments.