For Immediate Release: March 31, 2020
Coos Bay, OR –

The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay (Port) continues work to rebuild the Charleston Ice Plant following the fire that occurred in late December of 2019.  Damage from the fire resulted in the facility being declared as a total loss. However, Port staff in tandem with contracted partner firms have been working aggressively to rebuild the plant as quickly as possible to mitigate impacts to the local commercial fishing fleet.  The former facility and new rebuild produce commercial grade flake ice, which many fisheries depend on to keep their catch cold until it reaches the market.  The Ice Plant is one of the few public commercial flake ice facilities on the Oregon coast, making restoration of its services all the more critical.

The rebuild project includes replacement of piles and new decking at the dock head, as well as new ice making equipment housed in a building structure.  The engineering and design for the new facility has been completed, and all environmental and structural dock permits have been obtained. Currently, 13 of the 49 new piles have been placed.  The contracted construction firm is currently loading more piling on a barge for delivery to the project site.  Fabrication of the caps for the piling has commenced, with the first anticipated delivery on April 7th. 

The Charleston Marina serves as the third largest commercial fishing hub in the State of Oregon.  In 2019, over 18.6 million pounds of fish and shellfish were landed with a value of more than $28.6 million according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.  The commercial fishing industry is a critical component to the regional economy of southwestern Oregon. 

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For additional information, please contact:

 Margaret Barber, Director of External Affairs
mbarber@portofcoosbay.com // 541-266-3713