The plan called for Galveston Bay to host the regionalized port,but the Port of Houston Authority would be the manager. The Port ofGalveston Authority would have become a business unit of theoverseer. Under the proposal, Houston's port authority pledged toinfuse $30 million in the next 10 years into the aging Galvestonoperation.

The Galveston port encompasses 300 operating acres in citylimits and 500 acres on Pelican Island, just outside of Galvestonproper. Of the 500 Pelican Island acres, 50 acres are developed andplans are in the works to develop another 100 acres. The balance isbeing held in a land bank.

The end goal was to capture nearly all of the lucrativecontainer shipping business in the Gulf of Mexico. GlobeSt.compreviously was told Houston has a toehold on about 62% of theGulf's market share. The Houston port generates $7.7 billion inannual revenues. It is the leading port in foreign tonnage andsecond in total tonnage in the US. In 2000, Houston's port handled175 million tons in comparison to Galveston's 6.89 milliontons.