Port of Albany–Rensselaer
Port of Albany–Rensselaer | |
---|---|
New York | |
Coordinates | 42°37′41″N 73°45′27″W / 42.62806°N 73.75750°W |
UN/LOCODE | US ALB[1] |
Details | |
Opened | 1932 |
Operated by | Albany–Rensselaer Port District |
No. of berths | 18[2] |
Draft depth | 38 ft.[2] |
Commission Chairperson | Georgette Steffens |
Secretary | Dominic Tagliento |
Treasurer | Joseph E. Coffey, Jr. |
Manager | Richard Hendrick |
Statistics | |
Annual cargo tonnage | 7,540,535 (2004) |
Website www |
The Port of Albany–Rensselaer, widely known as the Port of Albany, is a port of entry in the United States with facilities on both sides of the Hudson River in Albany and Rensselaer, New York. Private and public port facilities have existed in both cities since the 17th century, with an increase in shipping after the Albany Basin and Erie Canal were built with public funds in 1825.
The port's modern name did not come into widespread use until 1925; the current port was constructed in 1932 under the governorship of Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression. It included the largest grain elevator in the world at the time. Today the grain elevator is the largest in the United States east of the Mississippi River; the port has the tallest harbor crane in the state of New York.
The port has rail connections with the
Geography
The Port of Albany consists of roughly 236 acres (96 ha), including about 202 acres (82 ha) in Albany and 34 acres (14 ha) in Rensselaer. It is 124 nautical miles (230 km) north of
History
Since the founding of Albany in 1614 as a trading post, shipping has been important to its growth and prosperity. Furs (especially beaver), timber, and farm produce were important exports while European people and goods were shipped in. The
Many historically significant ships used Albany as their home port. Experiment left Albany in 1785 to become the second American ship to sail to
The Albany Port District was established in 1925 under New York law Chapter 192.[12] This was only four years after the interstate compact that created the Port of New York Authority (later renamed the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey). In 1932 Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt unveiled a modern port to replace the aging infrastructure of the Albany Basin and the lumber district along the Erie Canal in the North Albany neighborhood.[13] The port was constructed on around 200 acres (0.81 km2) on Westerlo Island in the southern end of Albany along with approximately 34 acres (140,000 m2) across the river in the city of Rensselaer. The grain elevator at the port, built during the original construction in 1932, was the largest in the world and as of 2008 is still considered to be the largest in the United States east of the Mississippi River.[14] The area of Albany's original port (the Albany Basin) has been covered by Interstate 787 and the Corning Preserve (Riverfront Park) since the very early 1970s.[15] In 1979 remnants of the basin wall were excavated from the preserve's lagoon by Phillip Lord working for the New York State Museum.[16]
A Master Plan adopted in 2000 called for the port to be transformed into a container port,[17] which led to the purchase of the largest harbor crane in the state. In 2002, the Port District Commission took the lead in the development of Albany's Riverfront Park in the Corning Preserve as part of a development to enhance Albany's access to the river. The port helped in financing the project and in the construction of two bulkheads which have seasonal floating docks attached.[18] In a 2005 audit, the Office of the State Comptroller questioned the port's involvement in the construction and financing. Two issues raised were the port district's lack of authority to build docks for non-commercial use and that the port would receive no income for facilities it was financing.[17] The port received $3.3 million in 2002 to upgrade and become a member of the Inland Distribution Network, a select group of ports that are used as satellite locations for the distribution of container cargo from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, resulting in less congestion at downstate ports and highways.[19]
On December 9, 2003, the Dutch-owned ship Stellamare
Future
The Port of Albany is replacing 500 feet (150 m) of wharvage at a cost of $7.6 million in 2008 and 2009.[24] In late March 2008 a proposal for a $350 million ethanol plant was approved by the Albany Port District Commission,[25] but the project has been held up due to financing issues.
As of 2021, the site was scheduled as an potential assembly area for offshore wind turbine towers.[26]
Governance
The Albany Port District Commission is a New York State public-benefit corporation created by the state of New York to develop and manage port facilities anywhere in the cities of Albany and Rensselaer. The commission has five members, four of which are nominated by the mayor of Albany and one is nominated by the mayor of Rensselaer. The governor of New York then appoints them to three-year terms.[12] The commissioners serve without pay, but are compensated for business related expenses.[17] The General Manager of the port commission is Richard J. Hendrick.[27] The commission is considered to be a unit of the city of Albany and is included in the city's financial statements. Any deficit in the finances of the port commission are assessed against both Albany and Rensselaer. In 1932 the state decided that any deficit assessment would be based on Albany owing 88% of the total and Rensselaer 12%.[28] In 2017, the commission had operating expenses in the amount of $5.98 million, no outstanding debt, and a staff level of 55 people.[29] In 2005 the commission had a staff of 35 employees: eight in administrative duties, five in maintenance, and 22 as part-time security.[17]
Economy
The Port of Albany and the private companies located there bring to the
Connections
The Port of Albany is roughly 260 miles (420 km) east of Buffalo, 225 miles (362 km) south of Montreal, 175 miles (282 km) west of Boston, and 135 miles (217 km) north of the city of New York which makes it a location for regional distribution in the Northeastern United States and parts of Canada. As part of the Inland Distribution Network, the Port of Albany has a twice-weekly barge service to and from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey terminals. Shipments into the port can leave through many modes of transportation, including by truck and rail. Albany International Airport is 15 minutes away with cargo facilities. Canals allow for further water transportation on barges further into the interior of North America. The port also handles commodities that are not carried on ships. Grain, molasses, animal feed, wood pulp, and steel often go from inbound trains to outbound trucks.[33]
Rail
The
Yard is adjacent to the port. The North Albany–Erie Street Yard, also owned by CP Rail, is a few miles north of the port and still in the city of Albany. CSX owns two nearby yards: the Selkirk Yard is eight miles (13 km) south of the port, and the West Albany Yard is four miles (6 km) north.Truck
Major
- New York Metro Area);
- I-787connects Albany to Troy, New York;
- Adirondack Northway then at the Canada–US border it becomes Autoroute 15to Montreal);
- Mass Turnpike);
- I-88 connects Albany to Binghamton, New York.
Water-to-water
The Port of Albany is just south of where the New York State Canal System begins at the Federal Dam in Troy. The Erie Canal allows for water navigation to the Great Lakes, and the Champlain Canal connects the Hudson River to Lake Champlain. The Richelieu River/Chambly Canal then connects Lake Champlain to the St. Lawrence Seaway and Montreal.
Facilities
The Port of Albany includes:
- Deep water facilities located on both banks of the river;[3]
- two wharves: wharf length on the Albany side of the river is 4,200 feet (1,300 m) with four berths, and on the Rensselaer side the length is 1,100 feet (340 m) with one berth;[3]
- 20-acre (8.1 ha) open storage yard;[3]
- Customs and U.S. Department of Agriculture offices;[3]
- Four transit sheds and two backup warehouses totaling 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2) of storage; [3]
- 13,500,000 US bushels (480,000,000 L; 108,000,000 US dry gal; 105,000,000 imp gal) capacity grain elevator;[3]
- 18-million-US-gallon (68,000 m3) capacity bulk liquid storage between two terminals; [3]
- Heavy lift on-dock rail capability;[3]
- Super-sacking and debagging operation;[3]
- 12-acre (4.9 ha) road salt depot;[3]
- 12-acre (4.9 ha) scrap yard;[3]
- a 225-short-ton (201-long-ton; 204-metric-ton) capacity crane and a mobile harbor crane,[3] which is the largest harbor crane in the state of New York.[28][33]
Maritime services
Tenants
The rent from the 32 businesses at the port in 2008 contributes $2.76 million in revenue for the port.
Cargo
Some commodities come through the port on a regular basis, others are special cargo for a limited time. Such limited time cargo includes
- Animal feed;[33]
- Cement;[28]
- Cocoa beans;[41]
- Gypsum;[41]
- Ethanol;[14]
- rotors);[41]
- Liquid fertilizer;[28]
- scrap metal;[41]
- Molasses;[28]
- );
- Salt;[41]
- Steel;[38]
- Sugar;[39]
- logs.[41]
Tourism
Along with commercial activities the Port of Albany has non-industrial uses along the river. A ship museum and a tourism cruise ship are docked at the Steamboat Square. Steamboat Square was, until 2010, named the Snow Dock for being where city trucks dumped into the Hudson River snow plowed from the streets.[42] A PortFest was held in 2007 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Port of Albany-Rennselaer and the 10th anniversary of USS Slater as a museum ship docked at Albany.[43] National Maritime Day is celebrated with free trolley rides of the port and free rides aboard the Dutch Apple Cruise.[42]
USS Slater, which is the only destroyer escort still afloat in the United States, sits at Steamboat Square near the foot of Madison Avenue.[44] The ship is open from April to November to the public. The destroyer closes to the public from December to March and moves from the Steamboat Square to the port's Rensselaer side.[44] In August 2008 part of the Japanese film Orion in Midsummer (scheduled for release in spring 2009) was filmed on board.[45]
Dutch Apple Cruises, a private company which gives day cruises on the Hudson River and Erie Canal, also operates at the Steamboat Square.
See also
- Albany Convention Center
- Capital District
- Capital District Transportation Authority
- History of Albany, New York
- Hudson River–Black River Regulating District
- List of North American ports
- List of ports in the United States
- New York State Archives
- Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority
- Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
- Port of Oswego
- The Egg
References
- ^ "UNLOCODE (US) - UNITED STATES". service.unece.org. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Port of Albany, U.S.A." www.findaport.com. Shipping Guides Ltd. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Facilities: Terminal Description". Albany Port District. Retrieved 2018-10-04.
- State University of New York at Stony Brook. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ^ a b "Transportation Hub". Albany Port District. Retrieved 2018-10-04.
- ^ Stefan Bielinski. "River People in Early Albany: 1686-1800". New York State Museum and the Colonial Albany Project. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
- ^ Joel Munsell (1865). Collections on the History of Albany: Volume 1. J. Munsell. p. 166. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
albany three docks.
- ^ Paul E. Fontenoy (1996). "The American Neptune: An "Experimental" Voyage to China, 1785-1787". Archived from the original on 2008-12-31. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
- ^ ISBN 0-8078-4611-2. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
- ^ United States Treasury Department (1851). Reports of the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
- ^ J. H. French (1860). "Gazetteer of Albany, NY". Retrieved 2009-01-09.
- ^ a b "New York Law: Port of Albany 192/25". Suspect.com. Archived from the original on 2011-01-03. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
- ISBN 1-60354-031-8. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
- ^ Albany Times Union. Archived from the originalon February 21, 2013. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- ISBN 0-7385-1142-0. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
- ^ Denis Foley and Andrew Wolfe (Fall 2008). "The Erie Canal: A 19th Century Transportation Innovation" (PDF). NYSAA Newsletter. 3 (3). New York State Archaeological Association: 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-04-28.
- ^ a b c d "Internal Controls Over Financial Operations Report: 2005" (PDF). Office of the State Comptroller, State of New York. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
- ^ "Waterfront Development". Albany Port District. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- ^ "Port of Albany to Get $3.3 M for Container Barge Service". Maritime News and Engineering Reports. December 13, 2002. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved 2008-12-02.
- ^ Paul Grondahl (December 7, 2008). "Claims settled in deadly Stellamare capsizing". Albany Times Union. p. D3. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- ^ David Filkins (April 9, 2008). "Port worker sold stolen items as scrap, cops say". Albany Times Union. p. D5. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- ^ Cathy Woodruff (June 3, 2008). "Leader at port plans to ship out". Times Union. p. C1. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
- Gerald D. Jennings (July 8, 2008). "Mayor Jennings Announces Major Awards for the Port of Albany"(PDF). City of Albany. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
- ^ Albany Times Union. p. C1. Archived from the originalon July 13, 2012. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- The Business Review(Albany). Retrieved 2008-11-30.
- ^ Ford, Neil (19 May 2021). "US port spend brings offshore wind factories closer | Reuters Events | Renewables". www.reutersevents.com. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021.
- ^ "Albany Port District Commission - Management Team". portofalbany.us. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f "Port of Albany Annual Report 2009" (PDF). Albany Port District Commission. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- ^ "NYSABO 2018 Report" (PDF). pp. 17, 30, 45. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Port of Albany: 2015 in review". Port of Albany Commission. Retrieved 2018-10-04.
- ^ "Capital District Regional Planning Commission Home Page". Capital District Regional Planning Commission. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ^ "Empire Zones 2008: Area 1 (Southern Section)" (PDF). Albany Local Development Corporation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-09-18. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
- ^ NYSDOT. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2014-04-16. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ^ "Albany Port Railroad Corporation-APD". Canadian Pacific Railway. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
- ^ "Norfolk Southern Intermodal". Norfolk Southern Corporation. Retrieved 2011-05-25.
- ^ "Stevedoring". Albany Port District. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
- ^ "Port Albany Ventures: Location". Port Albany Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on 2009-01-22. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
- ^ a b Pam Allen (November 7, 2008). "Port bucks national trend; tonnage up 23%". The Business Review (Albany). Retrieved 2008-12-09.
- ^ a b Eric Durr (July 17, 2006). "NYC-bound subway cars coming into Port of Albany". The Business Review (Albany). Retrieved 2009-01-10.
- ^ "Springfield's CRRC begins testing Orange Line cars for Boston's MBTA (photos, video)". masslive.com. Retrieved 2018-11-17.
- ^ a b c d e f "Cargo Handling Expertise". Albany Port District. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- ^ a b Grondahl, Paul (2011-07-17). "Seafarers' Friends Get Well-Deserved Hand". Times Union (Albany). Hearst Communications. p. D1. Archived from the original on 2013-02-22. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
- ^ "PortFest Marks 75 Years". Times Union (Albany). Hearst Communications. 2007-10-12. p. D6. Archived from the original on 2012-07-01. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
- ^ a b "USS Slater". Destroyer Escort Historical Museum. Archived from the original on 2008-10-06. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ^ "Orion in Midsummer". Albany.com. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ "Dutch Apple Cruises: Directions". Dutch Apple Cruises. Archived from the original on 2010-10-07. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- ^ "ARC Homepage". Albany Rowing Center. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
- ^ "Albany Yacht Club History". Albany Yacht Club. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
External links
- Hudson River Level at Albany, NY Archived 2007-07-06 at the Wayback Machine
- Official Port of Albany Website
- Official City Government Website
- Return of the Experiment, painting by Len Tantillo