Local Leaders Respond to $10B Port Investment

VICKSBURG, Miss. — The Warren County Port Commission, a partner in the Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Partnership, celebrated the announcement by Gov. Tate Reeves of a $10,483,796 investment to support the development of the Mississippi River Inland Port Complex Mega Site in Warren County.

The funding is part of the Select Site Development Grant Program, which is funded by the Mississippi Legislature and administered by the Mississippi Development Authority. The grant will allow the Warren County Port Commission to mitigate wetlands on the property in compliance with a permit issued earlier this year by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Pablo Diaz, executive director of the Warren County Port Commission, highlighted the significance of the investment.

“Securing these funds and the timing of the allocation are critically important to the development of the Port Complex,” Diaz said. “The County and the City, along with the Economic Development Partnership, have worked tirelessly in the last several years to advance this project, and it is gratifying to see the state’s leaders recognize its potential and support it in such a decisive way.”

The port commission recently completed Phase I mitigation for the project by purchasing mitigation credits. Phase II is expected to eliminate any additional mitigation needs before construction begins.

Don Brown, chairman of the Warren County Port Commission, underscored the collaborative effort behind the project.

“It is a great day for Vicksburg and Warren County when you see the governor and other state leaders investing in the future of our community,” Brown said. “They clearly understand the potential this project has to transform the region and are willing to support it with their words and actions. This is yet another testament to the progress a community can make when it works with a united front.”

Brown also credited the Warren County Board of Supervisors and the City of Vicksburg for their leadership and joint investment in the project, which he said was recognized by Reeves and other state leaders.

Kelle Barfield, president of the Warren County Board of Supervisors, said the project’s funding emphasizes its statewide importance.

“The strength of state support to the Port Complex Mega Site in Warren County sends a strong message of the significance of this project to economic development not only in our area but to Mississippi as a whole,” Barfield said. “We were one of 22 projects funded through the Site Development Grant Program, which is vital to driving our economic momentum. But the Warren County project received more than a third of the total $29.4 million in the fund. Our collaboration and strong relationships with federal, state, and local agencies are key to the continued success of this project under the expert guidance of our Warren County Port Commission and its CEO Pablo Diaz.”

Mayor George Flaggs praised the cooperative effort and its economic potential.

“I really believe that we are beginning to reap the benefit of our relationship and collaboration with the state and federal government,” Flaggs said. “It’s going to be a game-changer. It’s going to create jobs like never before. The greatest thing to ever happen for us has been working together with Pablo, the Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Foundation, the port commission, and the board of supervisors. Because of the investment in this port, we should start seeing the fruits of our labor.”