If They Build the Port, Will Anybody Come?
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Think tiny. That's the size of Punta Colonet, a hamlet 150 miles south of Ensenada on the Baja Pacific coast.
Think huge. That's the size of the container port - and the investment at $4-billion - the Mexican government plans to install in Punta Colonet.
Big names are involved too. It is said that Carlos Slim Helu, the world's second richest man, is interested in bidding on the project. He's teamed with the Mexican railroad and mining company Grupo Mexico and Ports America Group, a port management company from New Jersey.
"The goal of the project is to make Mexico more competitive," says Miguel Favela, head of Mexican operation for Ports America (Dickerson)." They envision a city of 200,000 surrounding a port with a capacity of 2 million shipping containers a year, compared to LA/Long Beach's 15.7 million last year (Dickerson).
The big risk? The port has to hook up to American rail systems somewhere. The railroads are mum about whether they'll get involved.
Reference
Dickerson, Marla. Mexico plans huge Baja port for U.S. trade. LA Times. 28 August 2008. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mexico28-2008aug28,0,844963.story