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The big ships calling on TraPac's terminal ushered in a new chapter for Jacksonville's port when it opened in 2005. TraPac linked JaxPort to the fast-growing trade routes to Asia, forging a connection that port officials called a game-changer for the city.
A decade later, TraPac's terminal, which opened in early 2009, is operating at a fourth of its capacity.
TraPac might not stay at that site. The company is negotiating with the Jacksonville Port Authority about possibly leaving the 158-acre terminal and moving to a different authority-owned location.
Ultimately, TraPac's future in Jacksonville hinges on JaxPort's quest to deepen the ship channel from its current 40 feet deep to 47. The $684 million dredging project would be the most expensive public works project in Jacksonville history.
TraPac has said for years that in order to stay long term in Jacksonville, it must have deeper water for the much larger cargo-container ships now in operation. But there is no firm timetable for when the first underwater scoop would occur, much less how to pay for it. Nothing can happen until a legal challenge to environmental permits gets resolved.
While Jacksonville faces all those obstacles, other Southeast ports are pursuing deeper water, too.
In September, the Port of Miami was the first in the Southeast to deepen its port to be fully ready when massive ships begin using the expanded Panama Canal expected to open this year.
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Savannah's dredging project for a 47-foot channel started last year. The state of Georgia is committing $266 million. The federal government has put forward $69 million with another $42.7 million proposed for fiscal 2017.
That puts Jacksonville in a race with Charleston, S.C., and Port Everglades to be the next port to break ground on their river bottoms.
"If we don't get deep water — and I can't emphasize this enough — we won't be in the game to be an international port," said Jacksonville Port Authority board member Jim Citrano.
Charleston expects to complete at least part of the deepening by the end of the decade, which at 52 feet would make it the deepest port on the East Coast, said Erin Dhand, spokeswoman for the South Carolina Ports Authority.
Port Everglades is pursuing a 48-foot channel at a cost of $374 million, which is considerably less expensive than the $684 million cost for Jacksonville.
Florida is willing to partner financially with Jacksonville and Port Everglades to help pay for dredging, but only on a 50-50 basis for the non-federal portion of the cost, according to the state Department of Transportation.
For more of the Jacksonville.com news story: jacksonville.com
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