Port Commissioners frustrated over delays in moving huge warehouse tent

Oct. 1 is the deadline to have the warehouse relocated.

More than two months after ordering a massive warehouse tent to be moved to an approved site, Port of Fernandina commissioners expressed mounting frustration Wednesday over the lack of progress.

“It seems like we’re dragging our feet because we don’t, we don’t want to do it or it’s just a lot of work,” said Commissioner Miriam Hill during a tense exchange with the port operator’s president, Ted McNair of Relay Terminals.

The 22,000-square-foot fabric structure was installed in August 2024 in an unauthorized section of the Ocean Highway and Port Authority (OHPA) property — without city permits or inspections. The city of Fernandina Beach objected and filed legal action against OHPA, a case that remains unresolved.

Port officials voted this spring to relocate the tent to the northeast corner of the fenced-in terminal, which had previously been identified as the authorized site. An engineering estimate placed the cost at $213,000, a tab to be covered jointly by Relay Terminals and construction contractor Coast to Coast. Nearly a quarter of the cost involves repairs to the existing tent.

McNair told commissioners Wednesday that his company was concerned about operational issues and flooding at the approved site.

“When you think about, like, how it actually flows (traffic and cargo), I’m looking for the best use of work. And then, also giving myself enough room to expand,” McNair said. “If we do get lucky enough to be awarded (federal grant funds) fixes on this terminal, we’re going to need some space to do that as well. There’s flooding as well. So, you take that flooded area, and you look around the warehouse. And there are several places you can put it.”

But Vice Chairman Ray Nelson pushed back on McNair’s claims, disputing the idea that flooding is a concern at the designated location.

“We went through an engineering process, and anybody that knows that port out there knows that that (authorized) location is the highest point on that terminal. We never had flooding in that zone, so I don’t know where that’s coming from,” Nelson said. “Let’s go back and look at the records, how long we’ve been talking about this. It just goes on. It’s like the never-ending story.”

Commissioner Scott Moore, who joined the board after the tent was installed, emphasized that the location was chosen following community discussions and agreements.

“My understanding is that the site selection was based on many factors, including negotiation discussions with the port operator and also with the (adjacent) community as a whole of the historic district,” Moore said. “That was the place that was agreed to by all parties, including the port operator. Now we’re hearing that maybe that’s not the best location, but that doesn’t take into consideration our previous negotiations and discussions with the people of the historic district.”

Hill pressed again for transparency from the operator.

“I would just like to see some evidence of, you know, what you guys have been working on and, that would be good faith,” she said.

McNair requested one week to provide a true-to-scale site layout showing how the tent would fit in the northeast corner of the property. Chairman Justin Taylor granted the extension.

“No one wants to go away quicker than me,” McNair told commissioners.