By LEONARD GRAY

RESERVE – Work continues in the razing of the former Godchaux-Henderson Sugar Refinery, as the Port of South Louisiana’s Globalplex continues to take shape in its place. Part of the work in progress is the demolition of the old boilerhouse, including its foundations, and the planned reconstruction of the old internal roadways, according to Executive Port Director Joseph Accardo Jr.

Several of the old roads are collapsing under the weight of the port’s truck traffic, having had little if any foundation when built more than a century ago. Accardo recommended URS Engineering to perform engineering work for the upgrade of all the roads south of the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad.

Costs for the project include $103,146 for design work and $72,954 for construction supervision, the last of which includes $10,600 for lab testing, $3,750 for surveying and $4,000 for geotechnical services.

“Most of the roads will have to be torn completely out,” Accardo said at a recent port commission meeting.

In other activity at the meeting, the commission approved Stockhausen Louisiana Limited, which leases warehouse space in three buildings, to sublease their space in the former Baker-Heritage building on West 10th Street in Reserve to DSC Logistics of Illinois.

Stockhausen’s main facility is located between Garyville and Mt. Airy on River Road, where the industry manufactures absorbent polymers.

Baker-Heritage abandoned the building in 1996 after a failed attempt by the St. John the Baptist Parish government to sponsor an economic development effort there, bringing in a new industry. Since then, the building passed through several uses until it was acquired in 1998 by the Port of South Louisiana as a warehouse resource.

Stockhausen leased the 84,000 square foot building in February 1999 and, with 19 month remaining, is now moving out to make room for DSC Logistics.

The port will continue to receive the full amount of lease payments made by Stockhausen, totaling $2,100 per month, with DSC paying its portion and Stockhausen making up the difference, Accardo said.

Also, the port commission approved a new terminal operating agreement between three stevedoring companies, where one company is pulling out from the port.

International Ship Services wants to be released from the three-year agreement, and leave the business with Associated Terminals, which transfers cargo from vessels to barges, and Stevedoring Services of America, which transfers cargo from ships to landside storage.

ISS has been managing cargo on the landside of the port facilities.

The commission unanimously approved the new agreement.

Finally, the port commission approved the application of J. Ray McDermott Inc. to establish a subzone of the port’s Foreign Trade Zone No. 124 at the company’s Amelia shipbuilding yard.

Approval by the commission allows the application to be forwarded to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Foreign Trade Zone Board.

“It’s good for the state of Louisiana, so it’s good for the port,” Accardo said.