Oakland, Calif. – November 10, 2011– Last week the Port and City of Oakland, together, applied for a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant through the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) in the amount of $40 million. The grant will help fund the first phase of the redevelopment of the former Oakland Army Base (OAB) into a world class trade and logistics center.

The TIGER III grant will be leveraged nearly 10-to-1 by local, state and private investment to launch the $438 million first phase of the OAB redevelopment, including:

• Construction of a new rail terminal on 40 acres of Port property to enhance ship-to-rail connections and reduce truck traffic and emissions on local roads
• Construction of new trade and logistics facilities for warehousing directly within the Port area to help the Port remain a competitive international gateway and to create more jobs in the region
• Restoration of Oakland’s only deep water break-bulk terminal to increase exports in support of the President’s National Export Initiative
• Improvements to the backbone infrastructure of the former Oakland Army Base, including enhancements to Maritime Street and Burma Road, to support the overall OAB development
• Relocation of export-oriented recycling operations and trucking operations from impacted neighborhoods to the Port area to benefit the local community and to improve these businesses’ operations

“The transformation of the former OAB into a world-class trade and logistics center with superior rail facilities is one of the Port’s top strategic initiatives and critical to our future,” commented Port of Oakland Commission President Pamela Calloway. “This project is one way we are going to reach our job-creation goals while making sure the Port is an engine for inclusive economic development.”

Commenting on this important milestone, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan noted, “I commend the Port, the City, and our development partners from Prologis and California Capital & Investment Group for developing the strongest proposal possible that helps us leverage private, City, state and federal funding to develop OAB. If we are successful with our grant application, we will be able to create nearly 5,000 construction jobs in the near term and thousands more good blue collar jobs in the long term. Now we need to work together to secure this grant and start building!”

Oakland City Council President Larry Reid added, “The Oakland Army Base project is about helping the Port-City of Oakland maintain and enhance our position as a world class trade gateway, providing jobs and opportunities to the residents of Oakland. The Port – which is the economic engine for this whole region – needs to continue to grow, compete, and create the jobs our economy and our local residents and businesses’ need right now.”

Regarding the competitiveness of the application, Port Executive Director Omar Benjamin commented, “The Port-City project is competitive because it is intermodal – with rail, port, and road components; focused on exports through one of the nation’s top five trade gateways; leveraged nearly 10-to-1 with non-federal matching funds; supported by every level of government – with support from California Governor Jerry Brown, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, and U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, among others; and will help us create thousands of jobs in one of the most impacted regions in our country.”

The TIGER III grant application was submitted October 31, 2011 to the Department of Transportation. Notification of awards is anticipated by the end of the year. There is $527 million available nationwide, and USDOT has received well over 1,000 applications totaling several billion dollars.

For more information on TIGER, visit: http://www.dot.gov/tiger/.

To see a brochure about the project, the full TIGER III application and the list of supporters, go to www.portofoakland.com.

About the Port of Oakland, CA, USA:
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport, Oakland International Airport, and 20 miles of waterfront. The Oakland seaport is the fifth busiest container port in the U.S.; Oakland International Airport is the second largest San Francisco Bay Area airport offering over 300 daily passenger and cargo flights; and the Port’s real estate includes commercial developments such as Jack London Square and hundreds of acres of public parks and conservation areas. Together, through Port operations and those of its tenants and users, the Port supports more than 73,000 jobs in the region and over 800,000 jobs across the United States. The Port of Oakland was established in 1927 and is an independent department of the City of Oakland. Connect with the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport through Facebook, or with the Port on Twitter, YouTube, and at www.portofoakland.com.

Media Contacts:

Port of Oakland
Isaac Kos-Read
(510) 627-1565
[email protected]

City of Oakland
Sue Piper
(510) 499-8933
[email protected]