Savannah developer secures 135-acres for logistics park

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A Savannah real estate developer has purchased 135 acres of land adjacent to the Port of Charleston’s Leatherman Terminal with plans to build a high-speed logistics facility. 

Capital Development Partners said the land will be developed into a port logistics facility called Shipyard Creek Logistics Center to handle imports and exports. 

Specifically, Shipyard Creek Logistics Center will have cross dock terminals, container storage, warehousing and logistics facilities, the company said. The project is expected to cost more than $250 million. Capital Development Partners said 200 direct jobs and thousands of other jobs will be created from the center. 

John Knox Porter, CEO of Capital Development Partners, said the company was glad to be a strategic partner with the S.C. Ports Authority. 

“Shipyard Creek Logistics Center is an opportunity to develop and invest in one of the most efficient logistics facilities in the United States,” Porter said in a statement. “North Charleston and the state of South Carolina have an outstanding labor base, strong leadership and world-class port infrastructure that can quickly serve a large part of the U.S. population.”  

The logistics center is near the Leatherman Terminal, which opened earlier this year with an initial capacity of 700,000 TEUs, a standard unit of measure for shipping containers with 20-foot-equivalent units. The Leatherman Terminal also has plans for a second phase that would increase the capacity further. 

“S.C. Ports’ Leatherman Terminal provides cargo capacity, fluidity and speed to market for shippers’ supply chains,” S.C. Ports President and CEO Jim Newsome said in a statement. “We are pleased to have Capital Development Partners as a strategic partner as they develop the adjacent site into Shipyard Creek Logistics Center. This is a unique opportunity to develop a port-dependent logistics center next to the country's newest container terminal. Future tenants will benefit from Leatherman Terminal's efficient operations, as well as the proximity to S.C. Ports’ future rail-served intermodal cargo hub.” 

The Shipyard Creek Logisitcs Center is expected to open in 2022 with construction beginning on site prep and the cross dock terminal, the company said. 

Capital Development Partners has properties in Savannah; Charleston; Newark, N.J.; and Houston, Texas.