Port of Fort Smith to receive $500,000 grant for warehouse

The Port of Fort Smith will receive $500,000 from the more than $3.475 million in grants recently approved by the Arkansas Waterways Commission. The money will help Fort Smith officials continue to rebuild from damage caused by record Arkansas River flooding in 2019.

Marty Shell, owner of Van Buren-based Five Rivers Distribution, which manages the Fort Smith port, said the money will be used to help pay for a $1.7 million, 30,000-square-foot bulk storage warehouse. He said the warehouse is the last major piece of infrastructure to be rebuilt following the 2019 floods.

“You’re not going to score a touchdown every time you go out and ask for these grants, but we’ve moved the ball forward,” said Shell, who also is chair of the Arkansas Waterways Commission. “We’re looking to invest some more in the Port of Fort Smith. We’re looking at other options for state or federal grants. They’re out there.”

Shell said around $6 million has been spent at the port to recover from the 2019 flood damage, with all of the money so far coming from grants, insurance proceeds, and Federal Emergency Management Agency money.

“Fort Smith taxpayers have not paid one dime for any of that,” Shell said.

POSSIBLE LAND EXPANSION
Shell said the presentation by Fort Smith Deputy City Administrator Jeff Dingman to commissioners helped secure the $500,000 grant. Shell also said he and Dingman are working to double the footprint of the port.

“We’re kind of land locked out there now, but there are some opportunities,” Shell said, adding that with more property the port could some day build a transload yard and add more warehouses to meet growing demand for storage from customers in the agri and manufacturing sectors.

The port, located on the Poteau River just south of its confluence with the Arkansas River, sits on about 25 acres. Dingman said there are some “early looks” at possibly adding another 25 acres because the port is “consistently at capacity.”

“It’s dependent on a lot of factors,” Dingman said when asked about a possible expansion. “Right now it’s just an idea.”

GRANT AWARDS
Following are the grants recently approved by the Arkansas Waterways Commission. Money for the grants comes from an ad valorem tax paid on the value of barges used on the Arkansas River.

Central Arkansas Intermodal Authority
requested: $1.048 million
awarded: $187,425

Chicot-Desha Intermodal Authority
requested: $607,277
awarded: $250,000

City of Fort Smith Port Authority
requested: $1.5 million
awarded: $500,000

Little Rock Port Authority
requested: $4.675 million
awarded: $500,000

Osceola Port Authority
requested: $2.275 million
awarded: $1.038 million

Pine Bluff-Jefferson County Port Authority
requested: $1.76 million
awarded: $1 million