Owensboro Riverport Finalizes $1.1 Million Expansion Deal

The Owensboro (Ky.) Riverport Authority, Ohio River Mile 759, is expanding with the purchase of 7.8 acres of riverfront property that includes a warehouse.

The $1.1 million purchase from Nutrien Ag Solutions was finalized January 27.

Riverport President/CEO Brian Wright said the purchase made sense, in part, as the port owns property surrounding the acreage.

The purchase includes a 20,000-ton-capacity warehouse originally built in the 1980s to store bulk fertilizer. It has hopper access from the river, overhead conveyors and a loadout facility for bulk loading under roof as well as an office and a single-weighout scale. Nutrien had stopped using its facility two or three years ago, Wright said. The company now has an updated site on the riverport property.

“Our primary driver was to secure the access to the 8 acres that sits on the Ohio, and second to that was to expand our bulk capacity long-term,” Wright said of the purchase.

The port had a 3,000-ton facility on the river that was dismantled due to age a few years ago, and Wright said the warehouse will help to increase the port’s bulk capacity.

“From the riverport’s perspective, we have been eager to increase our bulk capacity for a number of years,” he said. “We have and continue to have inquiries for either one-offs or long-term bulk storage in this area. By us making this purchase it’s going to help us provide more bulk storage long-term.”

The riverport is currently going through an evaluation of the warehouse with an engineering firm and hopes to have more direction as to its future by the first week of April.

Caption for photo: The Owensboro Riverport Authority purchased 7.8 acres of riverfront property containing a 20,000-ton capacity bulk warehouse in January. (Photo courtesy of the Owensboro Riverport Authority)