The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved spending $125,000 to install a 6-inch water main tap to support a newly opened warehouse at the Birmingham Port Terminal.

“One thing that we have as an asset — that no one knows about — is our inland port … and whatever we can do to support it is advantageous for us as a city from an economic development perspective,” said Council Hunter Williams.

Officials in June held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 25,000-square-foot warehouse, which was built to handle cold rolled steel coils. An online post from the Alabama Department of Commerce stated, “The facility brings a new level of efficiency … to Port Birmingham on the Warrior River, reinforcing its strategic role as a logistics and manufacturing hub in central Alabama.”

The Port Birmingham Terminal is owned and operated by Watco Alabama Port Services. According to the company website, “Port Birmingham stands out as the only rail-served port in Central Alabama, with unit train capacity and connectivity to BN, CSX, and NS.” The 182-acre site also boasts 144 railcar spots and five barge docks as well as the only heavy-lift crane in the northern half of the state, according to Watco officials.

According to city staff, the tap paid for by Tuesday’s vote will access the water main served by the Warrior River Water Authority. The funding agreement approved is between the city and the Birmingham Jefferson County Port Authority, an entity established in 2016 to promote development of Port Birmingham and the Black Warrior River. The authority is made up of five members appointed by the Birmingham City Council and the Jefferson County Commission.

The council also Tuesday authorized the mayor to execute an agreement with the Birmingham Times Media Group to publish the city’s notices and advertisements next year. The city will pay the paper a total of $65,000, made in two installments.