The first greenfield shipyard to be built in the U.S. since World War II has broken ground.
A joint venture of JE Dunn and Alberici began construction on the initial phases of military contractor Saronic’s Port Alpha, an over $3.2 billion shipyard. There, the contractor will manufacture manned, autonomy-capable and autonomous ships, according to an Oct. 6 announcement from the JV.
The shipyard, located at the Port of Brownsville in Texas, will spread across an initially 835-acre site, per the announcement. However, Saronic will have the option to expand the shipyard to nearly 4,400 acres, according to a Sept. 30 news release from the firm.
The contract features three overlapping phases, according to the JV. The site preparation and infrastructure phases will include grading, ground improvement, drainage, access roads and utility infrastructure.
Then, Phase 1 of shipyard development will begin with the initial assembly buildings, material-handling systems and supporting facilities. When complete, the site will encompass all manufacturing facilities, warehousing, permanent waterfront and vessel-launching infrastructure and employee support facilities.
JE Dunn and Alberici, which are headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri and St. Louis, respectively, worked with design partners Stantec and KPFF via the progressive design-build delivery method, per the announcement.
Together, the team will overlap design, procurement and construction across all three stages, to progress the site’s manufacturing capability as the development takes shape.
Scott Shelby, vice president at JE Dunn and program leader for the JV, told Construction Dive via email that the approach allows the team to develop and evaluate the design, scope and cost before agreeing to the final construction price.
“That collaboration also helps us determine which portions of the work can advance while other requirements are being resolved,” Shelby said. “For example, we can plan early structural and waterfront packages while coordinating later equipment installation and supporting infrastructure.”
This isn’t the JV’s first time working with Saronic. Alberici announced in 2025 that the team won a $300 million expansion of Saronic’s shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana. The contractors topped out the facility in August.
