A few months after the announcement of a major expansion, as well as adding to a storage and export facility, some tentative timelines have been set for the construction upgrade of two terminals at the Port of Grays Harbor.

With Ag Processing Inc., and the Port of Grays Harbor already in agreement to spend up to nearly $250 million to build four additional storage silos at the existing AGP export facility at Terminal 2, as well as expanding Terminal 4 with upgrades, such as a new state-of-the-art ship loader and 50,000 feet of new rail, a construction timeline was presented at the Board of Commissioners meeting in June. AGP, which is contributing about $200 million toward the project, will oversee the construction of the projects.

Gary Nelson, who serves as the Executive Director for the Port of Grays Harbor, said while the goal to have both terminals completed in 2025 could be seen as an aggressive schedule, he wants to keep a target available for the public.

“My philosophy is that if you don’t have something to shoot for, you’ll let the agencies dictate the pace. We don’t want to cut any corners, but we also don’t want to get stuck on somebody’s desk along the way,” Nelson said. “Terminal 2 construction could start as soon as 2023 given that the permitting is different, but it’s a 12-month project that could be complete by the end of that year. The hope for Terminal 4 is to start construction in the first half of 2024 and be complete by the middle of 2025.”

Nelson also stated while those are the current construction timelines, they are subject to certain variables that come up, such as permit approvals and negotiations with local, state, and federal agencies. When asked about the permitting process, Nelson said the permits go through AGP since they are the main contractor and the permits for Terminal 2 should be done before Terminal 4.

The Port of Grays Harbor is expected to contribute about $50 million, which will include money from state and federal sources. The Port of Grays Harbor submitted a Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grant on May 16 for $25.5 million to help support infrastructure improvement.

Kayla Dunlap, Director of Government and Public Affairs for the Port of Grays Harbor, said she is anticipating a response by the time summer ends, but cautioned that the election season could delay the approval.

“We hope to hear if we’re going to be successful with our request by September, although I wouldn’t be surprised if it could be pushed as far back as November with it being an election year. So, we’re keeping our fingers crossed,” Dunlap said.

Dunlap went on to say that the permitting process will start soon as elements of it can begin before the grant is awarded. She also said that if all goes well, the construction timelines will align with AGP’s budget to have the terminals fully operational in 2025.