[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 157 (Friday, December 7, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SAINT PAUL PORT AUTHORITY

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                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, December 7, 2012

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 80th anniversary 
of the Saint Paul Port Authority. For decades, the Port Authority has 
successfully managed the Port of Saint Paul, Minnesota, at the head of 
navigation on America's greatest river. Additionally, this regional 
industrial redevelopment organization has redeveloped major tracts of 
polluted industrial land in Saint Paul, Minnesota, resulting in more 
than $150 million of private investment, new job creation and tax 
revenue for the metropolitan area.
  The Saint Paul Port Authority was created by the Minnesota 
Legislature in the early 1930s as a direct result of Congress' decision 
to dredge a nine-foot channel in the Mississippi River from Saint Paul 
to New Orleans. As the manager of the Saint Paul Harbor, the Port 
Authority continues to foster a thriving commodities transportation 
network that has created thousands of jobs, increased the city's 
population, and has made St. Paul a major hub for agricultural and 
commodity shipping.
  Over time, the Saint Paul Port Authority's role was expanded to 
include revitalization. Today, the Saint Paul Port Authority 
specializes in restoring polluted and vacant properties, remediating 
Brownfields, and financing small and large business ventures. Through 
their knowledge, expertise, and ability to partner with key players, 
the Port Authority has become a major economic development force in our 
city, creating 22 business centers, and generating more than $33 
million a year in real estate and property tax revenue.
  As noted in the June 26, 2012, New York Times article titled, 
``Reconciling History and Hope at 3M's Old Home,'' the Saint Paul Port 
Authority's most recent development of the 61-acre abandoned 3M 
manufacturing site is a redevelopment success story and a testimony to 
their expertise. Because of the Port Authority's work, the old 3M home 
has been reborn into a private commercial development, committed to 
employing local residents with good-paying jobs and an eye towards 
preserving the local history that complements the city's unique and 
diverse East side neighborhoods.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to submit this statement for the Record 
commemorating the Saint Paul Port Authority's 80th anniversary, and 
commending its vital role in promoting economic development and 
fostering growth in the Saint Paul areas for the past eight decades.

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