World Trade Center in Downtown Long Beach.
11:40am | The Board of Harbor Commissioners voted 2-2 yesterday stalling any plans to relocate the Port of Long Beach administrative offices from its current location to the World Trade Center. Commissioners Rich Dines and Doug Drummond voted against the plan and Commissioners Thomas Fields and Nic Sramek voted in favor.
Commissioner Susan Wise abstained from voting because of a conflict due to her leasing office space in the World Trade Center.
Dines strongly opposed the move stating the cost impacts of renovations and security upgrades would push the cost up well over the value of the building itself. Fields pointed out that any move to build a new administration building would take years to complete when the Port is in need of a new administrative home now.
August 9, 8:30am | The Board of Harbor Commissioners will meet Monday at 1:00pm at the Port Administration building to discuss the final steps towards purchasing the World Trade Center in downtown Long Beach. Moving the Port administration into the World Trade Center, securing other office space or building a new headquarters are the three options being considered.
August 30, 10:45am | The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners voted yesterday to move forward with the purchase of the World Trade Center in Downtown Long Beach, a major step towards securing a new location for the Port’s administration headquarters.
The purchase price is listed at $130 million which is significantly less than the $220 million budgeted by the Port in 2010 to build a new headquarters. Mayor Foster vetoed the $220 million line item asking the Port to find a less costly alternative.
The current Port headquarters was built in 1959 and is considered by Port staff to be “obsolete and overcrowded, with many staff members located in office trailers adjacent to the building.” Also, the current building is in need of major seismic upgrades, as it was built prior to current earthquake codes.
Click here to read the complete Port of Long Beach staff report on the purchase.