Cole County Commission approves up to $7,000 for port authority

The Cole County Commission approved up to $7,000 for Heartland Port Authority on Tuesday, which will match a grant that was already requested.

The grant total is $183,700, and the authority needs a 10 percent match in order to receive the grant.

Missouri Soybean already pledged $5,000 to help match the grant needed.

The goal of the project is to create a river port in Cole County to provide access from highways and rails to the Missouri River.

The purpose of the project is to promote general welfare, encourage capital growth, increase commerce and establish a free trade zone.

According to a study, the Heartland Port Authority could cost between $60-$90 million for construction, but it could have a long-term benefit of hundreds of million dollars.

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