Port of
Oakland Takes Over Former Oakland Army Base
The future of the Port of Oakland
became a little more certain on Friday, August 8, when the transfer
of land from the former Oakland Army Base to the City of Oakland and
Port of Oakland was officially recorded with the Alameda County
Recorder’s office. "This culminates years of negotiations and
will be a win-win for everyone: the public, the city, and the
Port," said Board of Port Commissioners President John
Protopappas.
This agreement will increase
public access to the waterfront, provide the City of Oakland land
for development, and allow the Port of Oakland land to meet future
container cargo growth. With the conclusion of this agreement,
approximately 372 acres of the former Oakland Army Base will be
transferred to the City of Oakland, the Port of Oakland, and the
East Bay Regional Park District.
"We are positioning the Port
of Oakland for future development that regional planning agencies
believe will be necessary to handle the anticipated increase in
international trade through our seaport over the next 20
years," said Tay Yoshitani, Executive Director of the Port.
"This agreement sets the stage for ultimately developing some
of the property for new berth development," added Yoshitani.
The Port plans to use the land to
reconfigure the entire seaport for greater efficiency by creating
larger multiberth terminals. The Port will also use the land to
relocate and expand the joint intermodal terminal, one of the
near-dock rail facilities located at the Port. This additional land
also allows the Port to accommodate other seaport related services
such as container freight stations and transload facilities.
"The Port’s share of the
former army base will give us tremendous flexibility to expand
container yard capacity and create larger near-dock rail facilities.
Receiving this land will allow the Port to remain a competitive
international gateway as well as strengthen its position as a viable
economic source for our region," said Jerry Bridges, Director
of Maritime.
The Port of Oakland is the fourth
largest container port in the country. Established in 1927 as an
independent department of the City of Oakland, the Port spans 19
miles of waterfront and more than 900 acres of maritime terminal
facilities. Port facilities include 11 major container terminals
covering approximately 5765 acres; the Metropolitan Oakland
International Airport, which covers an area of over 2,500 acres;
more than 1,000 acres of commercial, industrial, recreational, and
other land; 950 acres of underdeveloped land; and about 9,700
surface acres of water area.