The following is a blog by U.S. Maritime Administrator Paul "Chip" Jaenichen:
(WASHINGTON) — During my recent travels to California, I joined state and local leaders to commemorate the transfer of 125 acres of property to the city of Long Beach through the Maritime Administration’s (MarAd) Port Public Benefit Conveyance Program.
This program facilitates the transfer of surplus federal property at no cost to states and local governments to help develop and enhance the nation’s port facilities.
In this case, the property to be transferred, the former Long Beach Naval Complex (LBNC), had been declared “surplus” by the Department of the Navy as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure process.
The Port of Long Beach will develop the LBNC in ways that both expand and diversify the facility — for staging containerized cargo, expanding storage, and loading and unloading facilities, among other purposes.
When the transfer is legally executed, it will bring the total property conveyed to the city of Long Beach to 407 acres. Port officials confirm that the additional land will increase the number of jobs at the port and all along the transportation corridor, and it is expected to create additional indirect and induced jobs in the many industries and businesses that move goods and services through the port.
To date, the Port Conveyance Program has conveyed approximately 1,800 acres to California ports and over 2,700 acres to ports all across the country.
We’re proud to support this program that strengthens our ports, which are vital to our country’s transportation and supply network. They facilitate the delivery of goods to U.S. consumers, raw materials and parts to manufacturers, and serve the needs of the nation’s importers and exporters.
Through the conveyance program, many ports have been developed into modern intermodal transfer stations and logistics hubs that expedite the transfer of cargo from seaports and river ports to both rail and highways, expediting their delivery to businesses and consumers.
In this day and time of mega-containerships and intense international competition, these are critical enhancements to move freight efficiently and effectively.
Successfully conveying the LBNC property to the city of Long Beach is a clear demonstration of the Maritime Administration and the Department of Transportation’s broader mission — to facilitate job creation, encourage economic redevelopment, and ensure adequate port capacity for the nation’s prosperity and security.