The Oakland Bulk & Oversized Terminal is a project under development and also the focus of much misunderstanding (its not a coal plant) and legal controversy (it’s not a coal terminal). But, in 2013, it was the “Oakland Global” Oakland Army Base Reuse Project, the darling of Oakland elected officials when it was introduced.
At the Oakland Global groundbreaking, the talk was not about coal, but how the terminal facility would provide jobs for Oakland. As you will learn, that the facility would handle many commodities, including coal, was known, even then. But jobs were a central point of then Oakland Mayor Jean Quan’s statement to Zennie62Media at the Oakland Global groundbreaking, as one can see and hear, here:
And prior to the Oakland Global Groundbreaking, and in 2012, then Oakland Economic Development Director Fred Blackwell gave Zennie62Media this project update:
The Story of Oakland Global and Oakland Bulk & Oversized Terminal
This is a summary of the story of how Oakland Global and the Oakland Bulk & Oversized Terminal were born as a project in 2013 (Author note: Zennie Abraham was a member of the 1992-1993 Alameda Base Reuse Committee that served to provide community input on the decommissioned Army Base, and crafted the objective of the replacement of the low-skilled, well-paying jobs the Army Base provided. That objective has still not been met by the City of Oakland, and its 2019.)
The Federal Government decommissioned the Oakland Army Base in 1999. After a decade and a half of strategic planning, the Oakland Army Base was approved to become a rail-served logistics center, which will include a multi-commodity bulk terminal, state-of-the-art warehouses and rail yards.
This new, world-class facility will be known as the Oakland Global Trade and Logistics Center, or “Oakland Global.”Oakland Global is the result of eight years of collaboration amongthe City of Oakland, the Port of Oakland and California Capital & Investment Group (CCIG).
Two primary features of Oakland Global are the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal(OBOT), which is a multi-commodity, bulk marine terminal, and the Oakland Global Railroad Enterprise (OGRE). OBOT and OGRE are affiliates of CCIG.
The approval process for this project is one of the longest and most public in the history of the City of Oakland. 251 public meetings were held; the project addressed City Council more than 51 times; the project garnered 128 permits for infrastructure;and 76 permits are required for the marine terminal.
In April 2014, Phil Tagami, the project developer, was part of a group that entered into an exclusive negotiating agreement and then a development agreement to develop and operate the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal.
Economic Impact Of Oakland Global: Oakland Global has established an unprecedented community benefits package, which stipulates that of at least half of construction hours and hires for ongoing operations be allocated for Oakland residents, with a hiring prioritization on West Oakland residents. Once fully built-out and operational, Oakland Global is projected to create 11,970 jobs,including up to $300 million annually in regional employment income*.
Commitment to Environmental Protection: Oakland Global commends and embraces California and Oakland’s commitment to lead by example and set extraordinary GHG emissions reduction mandates. The project’s operations will set the standard for compliance with those mandates. In addition to the 204 permits issued for the project, Oakland Global is subject to more than 660 mitigation mandates and conditions of approval by the City of Oakland and the Port of Oakland, including the establishment of a strict air quality regimen in compliance with regulations of BAAQMD.
At all times, operations and commodities processed at Oakland Global will be subject to and in compliance with federal, state, regional and local laws and regulations
Oakland Global has been monitoring air quality around the project since October 2013 and early results show air quality and emissions related to Port operations in and around the project will be improved under the project’s operating standards.
Commitment to Health and Safety: The health and safety of workers and neighbors in the Oakland community is the project’s number one priority. We emphasize health and safety in all aspects of the workplace and are designing practices and procedures using industry best practices and standards.
Shipment Commodities for the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal: To feasibly operate and meet established expectations of the multi-commodity, bulk-shipping market as well as be commercially viable, a terminal must have the ability and capacity to handle any of the more than 15,000 commodities legally shipped throughout the world.
Stay tuned.