Tri-City Regional Port District: 1959-2009

HISTORY

Introduction

For 50 years, the Tri-City Regional Port District has been fulfilling its mission of creating jobs and providing freight transportation opportunities in the Tri-Cities area of Granite City, Madison and Venice, Illinois. Covering a service area of 77 square miles, the Port District has quietly grown throughout the years to become a leader in economic development in southwestern Illinois.

From its humble beginnings on April 1, 1959, the Port District has grown to a net worth of over $71 million today. This remarkable growth has been largely due to sound policies established by its Boards of Commissioners throughout the years, strong and stable leadership of the Port District, and its ability to utilize assets and take advantage of opportunities as they become available. Amazingly, this growth has occurred by a self-sufficient organization that does not receive the benefit of general tax revenues, as most other local or municipal forms of government do.

The following story documents the Port’s history and its impact on the southwestern Illinois region.

Next  >>