Remote Surveillance Trailer in Coos Bay, OR

COOS BAY, Ore. — The Port of Coos Bay Project recently received a $100 million grant from the state to assist - but there's still a long way to go with an estimated final cost of $2.3 billion.

The project aims to bring the first fully ship-to-rail port to the West Coast.

The Pacific Coast Intermodal Port, commonly known as the Port of Coos Bay Project - is expected to occupy 175 acres directly west of North Bend.

The full project includes upgrades to rail lines in Coos, Douglas, and Lane counties - as well as deepening the Coos Bay Federal Navigation Channel to allow ships to pass through safely.

Melissa Cribbins, the Executive Director for the project, says the permit process has started, and we are about five years away from the facility being operational.

"We're at the stage right now where we're still early enough in the design where that might be a potential conflict or where there's concerns. And see how we can mitigate those," Cribbins says.

This project is expected to ship nearly 800,000 containers a year - increasing tax revenue and creating approximately 2,500 local jobs.

"This area desperately needs family wage jobs to allow for many people to allow our children to come back and work, and these will be good union wage jobs that will be able to support a family," Cribbins says.

Between federal and state funds and money committed by private partner Northpoint Development, the project has raised about $1 billion so far.

Matt Friesen, the Director of External Affairs for the port, says the entire process can be a challenge.

"Getting these first investments is especially challenging because you just have to get people that are putting enough skin in the game initially. And no matter how much people believe in the project, and everyone believes in this project, there's still that eventual leap that you have to really commit to," says Friesen.

Cribbins says the project as a whole will be a benefit to those living along the coast.

"This is an opportunity for the whole community even if you're at or past retirement age or don't have any interest in working that industry. Hate to use a port analogy, but a rising tide floats all boats - and it's good for the community as a whole."

In total the project is still $1.3 billion short. Those behind the project hope to see it operational by 2030.

Leaders for the project say the next step is looking for engineers to bid on designing the terminal and updating the rail line in Coos Bay - and there has been interest all across the nation from architects who want to help the project come to life.

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It all begins with a unique history talk on the safe haven of ballroom culture on the south coast.

The Coos History Museum will present “The History of Ballroom” as part of its June First Tuesday Talk program on June 3, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

Jayden Ruff, director of South Coast Pride, will lead the discussion.

Ballroom culture has served as a crucial refuge and source of strength for Black and brown transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, who often face systemic challenges both within LGBTQ spaces and broader society. This program explores how ballroom has evolved into a vibrant social movement and creative force for LGBT communities of color.

The event will be held in person at the museum and available via Zoom. Admission is $7 for non-member adults, $3 for youth, and $5 for Zoom access, regardless of membership status. CHM members can attend for free in person. Doors open at 5:30 PM, allowing time to explore exhibits. Pre-registration is encouraged and can be completed online https://cooshistory.org/event-registration/, by phone, or at the museum’s front desk. Walk-ins are welcome for all Tuesday Talk programs.

On July 12 - July 26, 2025, the 47th Oregon Coast Music Festival will fill up the Coos Bay area with stunning music in July, which includes an 80-piece orchestra.

Coos History Museum photo

Known as the “Tanglewood” of the West Coast, this annual festival features an 80-piece orchestra, along with a lineup of jazz, classical, and folk musicians performing at venues such as Shore Acres State Park Garden, the OIMB Boat House, and Mingus Park. Music lovers can enjoy a mix of free seminars at Southwest Oregon Community College and multiple concerts leading up to the grand finale with the Festival Orchestra’s performances at Marshfield High’s Auditorium.

Courtesy Oregon Coast Music Festival

This year’s lineup includes Aaron Johnson Quartet, Sugar Beets, South Coast Folk Society Dancers, and Family Mystic, with events taking place in Charleston, Coos Bay, Bandon, and North Bend. The festival also welcomes Maestro Martin Majkut as Music Director and Conductor. Majkut, recognized for his dynamic leadership, currently serves as the Music Director of the Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra and has performed with ensembles including the Slovak Philharmonic and Tacoma Opera.

Also see South Oregon Coast Events Bring Two Ways to Take a Wild Ride in Bandon, Coos Bay - UTV Takeover June 24 - 29 near Coos Bay, July 4 Cardboard Boat Regatta in Bandon

More is available at 541-267-0938 or http://www.oregoncoastmusic.org/.

North Bend marks its 122nd anniversary with the Annual July Jubilee from July 18 to July 20, celebrating the occasion with live music, food, and community activities.

Festivities begin on July 18 with the Sip N Stroll, the Country Opry, and a cornhole tournament. The afternoon offers live music at the Afternoon Music Café as part of the Oregon Coast Music Festival, and a card game gathering at the North Bend Public Library.

On July 19, the Mustang & Ford Club Show ‘n Shine takes place at North Bend Lanes, alongside the July Jubilee Jaunt 5K run/walk, disc golf, and more opry performances at the Liberty Theatre. The celebration wraps up on July 20 with a Historic Walking Tour starting at Hotel North Bend, followed by a softball game and additional opry performances.

More details can be found by calling 541-756-4613 or visiting the official event site.

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Oregon lawmakers on June 30 approved $100 million for a new container terminal at the Port of Coos Bay, propelling the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port from proposal to construction plan.

The state money joins $58 million in federal transportation grants — including Infrastructure for Rebuilding America, Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements, and Railroad Crossing Elimination awards — already committed to the project.

The terminal is designed as a ship-to-rail hub, moving containers from oceangoing vessels onto the Coos Bay Rail Line for a 134-mile run to Union Pacific tracks in Eugene. From there, freight could reach Midwestern markets without relying on congested highways or larger coastal ports.

“This project reflects the kind of bold, future-focused investment that Oregon needs,” PCIP Executive Director Melissa Cribbins said in the announcement. “For too long, rural communities like those on the South coast have been left behind. This project gives us a path forward — one grounded in good jobs, sustainable freight infrastructure and long-term community stability.”

Economic models tied to the venture forecast 2,600 construction jobs and 2,500 permanent direct positions once operations begin, with total employment reaching as many as 8,000 across construction, logistics, warehousing and small-business suppliers. Those wages could add about $59 million a year to state income-tax collections, according to documents sent to legislators.

Three experts from Transport Enterprise Leasing discuss strategies for buying and selling trucks amid regulatory shifts, trade tensions and economic uncertainty. Tune in above or by going to RoadSigns.ttnews.com.

The bipartisan Oregon Coastal Caucus promoted the appropriation, citing the port’s potential to lower shipping costs for Willamette Valley agriculture, Columbia Gorge manufacturers and exporters across the West.

NorthPoint Development, a Kansas City, Mo.-based firm leading construction, framed the vote as a test case for public-private partnerships. CEO Chad Meyer said the goal is long-term stability for working families.

“This project is about building something real and lasting — not just for the region, but for the working people of Oregon,” Meyer said. “Together, we’re bringing modern logistics capacity to the South Coast in a way that benefits the entire country.”

Want more news? Listen to today's daily briefing below or go here for more info:

The Port of Coos Bay is a small step closer to building a major international shipping terminal, which supporters say will create 2,500 permanent jobs on the south coast.

Oregon lawmakers allocated $100 million to widen and deepen the channel so it’s accessible to cargo ships as part of its “Christmas tree” legislation that allocated money to capital projects around the state. The money for dredging was a priority for Sen. Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City, whose district stretches to Coos County.

“That’s about 20% of the funding that’s needed altogether to make the dredging occur,” Melissa Cribbins, executive director of the project, told OPB. “But it was very much needed — and it shows a really important state investment in this project.”

Since land underneath the channel is owned by the state, lawmakers used bond money earmarked for state-owned assets, Cribbins said.

Overall, the $2.3 billion project will create a deep-water terminal large enough for cargo ships to deliver massive shipping containers. Once the containers land at the Port of Coos Bay terminal, they’ll be loaded onto rail cars heading to cities like Eugene and shipped onward to local stores or to other parts of the country. Containers full of animal feed, wood products and other Oregon and U.S. exports will leave Coos Bay on cargo ships sailing to other countries.

The project could create as many as 2,500 permanent jobs and another 2,500 temporary construction positions.

Advocates hope the terminal will encourage a surge of economic development in the region, offering relief to an area that never fully recovered from the timber industry’s exit.

Opponents of the project point to negative environmental effects from dredging and question the need for such a service.

However, the state and federal government have signaled support for the development.

While more funding is needed to complete the international shipping terminal, Cribbins said it’s scored three federal grants in the last 9 months. Together they total nearly $60 million, which will go toward designs for the rail terminal, upgrades to Coos Bay’s rail line and changes to a rail crossing on Highway 38 in Reedsport.

The project is expected to go through two more years of engineering and planning, Cribbins said. She hopes construction will start in time for the terminal to open in 2030.

“These early large investments are very important to make that happen,” she said. “It signals to the carriers and the shippers that this project is moving forward, and that it will be an option for moving goods in just 5 years, which is not actually that far away.”