Groundbreaking held for $22M cement terminal facility at Port of Providence

THIS AERIAL photograph shows ProvPort, with Save The Bay located south of the property, and Johnson & Wales University Harbor Campus located to the southwest. A groundbreaking was held Tuesday for a new $22 million cement terminal facility to be built at the Port of Providence. / COURTESY PROVPORT
THIS AERIAL photograph shows ProvPort, with Save The Bay located south of the property, and Johnson & Wales University Harbor Campus located to the southwest. A groundbreaking was held Tuesday for a new $22 million cement terminal facility to be built at the Port of Providence. / COURTESY PROVPORT

PROVIDENCE – Public officials and members of the business community on Tuesday broke ground on a new $22 million cement terminal facility at Port of Providence.

The new terminal, owned by Canada-based McInnis Cement, will serve as the company’s first in the nation with the capacity to receive ships with payloads exceeding 30,000 metric tons, designed to provide cement for the New England construction market. The terminal will also have the capacity to load about 100 trucks and about 10 railcars per day, according to a press release.

“We are proud to commence construction of our first terminal in the United States in the Port of Providence,” said Jim Braselton, senior vice president of marketing, sales and distribution at McInnis. “Thanks to the partnerships we’ve developed with state and city officials, our high-quality product will be able to efficiently and dependably reach customers throughout New England – an area that currently and routinely in the past has had challenges with reliable supply.”

The company earlier this year signed a tax treaty with the city to pay $50,000 annually in property taxes through the first three years, before making payments on an assessed property value of $5 million and a real property tax rate of $36.75 per $1,000 for years four through six. The company’s taxes will continue to change through year 12 when the company will start making full payments. The city projects the company will pay $1.3 million in tangible taxes and $1.5 million in property taxes during the 12-year period.

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McInnis, a privately held company with corporate headquarters in Quebec, Canada, says this is the first time a cement company will have built a new plant to serve the New England market in more than 50 years, and estimates the project is to require 30-40 construction-related jobs. McInnis plans to employ up to 10 employees after the terminal becomes operational. Construction is expected to be completed this winter.

“The plant, strategically located in an area rich with limestone, is capable of producing 2.2 million metric tons of cement every year, which will meet the need for greater production in the U.S.,” Braselton said.

R.I. Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor, Mayor Jorge O. Elorza, City Council President Luis A. Aponte and ProvPort Board Chair Paul Moura also attended the event, according to the release.

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