By Alabama Public Radio
Mobile, AL – There was major economic development news out of Mobile Tuesday. The Alabama State Port Authority has approved an agreement with Mobile Container Terminal to develop the new container terminal at Choctaw Point. That area is south of downtown Mobile. Construction began in April and is in the initial phases of building the terminal and rail yard. The entire facility should be ready to go by late 2007. The container terminal will increase the number of containers the docks can handle every year from 75-thousand to more than 700-thousand. The state will provide up to 80 million dollars for the project, which is expected to cost about 300 million dollars. The effort is expected initially to create 300 permanent jobs, and another 900 workers could be hired during the construction period.