The Heart of Illinois Regional Port District either needs to find a new home or consider shelving its operations. Peoria Public Radio's Alex Rusciano reports on the possible next steps for the decade-old group:
The Port Authority was moved from its original home in the Heartland Partnership, saw its executive director resign, and lost support for its proposed marine terminal in the last few years. Authority chair Dan Silverthorn says the group’s full board will meet in late April to consider officially mothballing the Port Authority that was created by state law. But he says he also hopes future public-private partnerships might be forged to see a bricks and mortar port terminal created. Silverthorn says that would be the best way to breath long standing life into the operations of the Port Authority:
“But I think they might have to look at something a little harder than we did, and that maybe would be a location. Possible own an actual shipping area or port area where you would be a public entity too, but would create some income on a steady basis and not just strictly economic development,” Silverthorn says.
Silverthorn says they also continues to look for another quasi government group to house the Port Authority for office space and support. The full Port Authority board is also considering returning remaining funds to member counties that helped support the organization.