HII wraps up sale of Avondale facility

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has completed the sale of HII’s Avondale facility to Avondale Marine, a joint venture between terminal operator T.P. Host and real estate firm Hilco Redevelopment Partners.

As part of cost-saving measures, HII announced in 2010 the decision to close the facility, seeking a strategic solution for its redevelopment. HII also considered a joint venture with Kinder Morgan Energy Partners to repurpose the site but subsequently decided not to move forward with the JV.

The Louisiana-based Avondale facility, part of HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division, ceased its navy shipbuilding operations in December 2014.

Avondale’s UNO Maritime Center of Excellence has remained open and continues to do engineering and design work in support of Ingalls’ shipbuilding programs.

“We are very proud of our legacy at Avondale and the many contributions that generations of its shipbuilders made to our national security (…) We are pleased that Avondale Marine plans to put the facility back into commerce and look forward to its success,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias, said.

“Our team will unleash its potential by transforming the shipyard into a global logistics hub for intermodal commerce. As we usher in a new era for this facility, we will benefit from the strength and skill of the workforce in Jefferson Parish and Louisiana,” Adam Anderson, president and CEO of T.P. Host and principal of Avondale Marine, commented.

In the coming months, Avondale Marine will begin its planning process for the approximately 254-acre site in partnership with stakeholders.