Port of San Diego

The Port of San Diego is a self-supporting public benefit corporation established in 1962 by an act of the California State Legislature. The Port Act states that the policy of the State of California is to develop the harbors and ports of the State for multiple uses that benefit all the people of the State. The Act goes on to state that only a specially created district can effectively develop the harbors and port facilities by balancing all the competing interests for these valuable tidelands.

The Port was created to protect that balance as illustrated in the agency's mission statement.

Mission Statement

"While protecting the Tidelands Trust resources, the Port will balance economic benefits, community services, environmental stewardship, and public safety on behalf of the citizens of California."

The Port is governed by a seven member Board of Port Commissioners; one commissioner each is appointed by the city councils of Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach and National City, and three commissioners are appointed by the San Diego City Council. The Board establishes policies under which the Port's staff – supervised by the Executive Director – conducts its daily operation.

Vision Statement

"To Foster a World Class Port through Excellence in Public Service."

History

The San Diego Unified Port District was created in 1962 after the California State legislature passed Senate Bill 41 and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors certified it. The citizens, in 1964, approved a $10.9 million bond for capital improvements. Improvements included the development of a new air terminal, preparation for Harbor Island to be leased, and construction of a new cargo terminal in National City. In 1970, the first cruise ship to offer scheduled cruises out of San Diego, since the creation of the Port, began making 10-day trips to Mexico. In 1980, the Port in an effort to improve the ecological balance of the Bay completed a wildlife refuge in Chula Vista. In 1983, The San Diego Cruise Industry Consortium was formed to promote San Diego as a cruise destination and homeport. Then just three years later the B Street Pier Cruise Ship Terminal was officially dedicated. That same year, over 26,000 passengers embarked and disembarked at the terminal. In 1989, the Port-funded, $165 million, waterfront San Diego Convention Center opened. In 1990, the Pasha Group began importing vehicles (Isuzus) at the National City Marine Terminal. A total of 15,589 vehicle units were imported the first year. Pasha now imports over 400,000 vehicles annually. In 1993, the Port and Tenth Avenue Cold Storage Company celebrated the grand opening of San Diego's first on-dock cold storage facility, built for $11 million, at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal. In 2001, the Board of Port Commissioners announced a major 20-year lease with Dole Food Company. This signified the Port's entry into the refrigerated containerized cargo market. Dole ships 1.8 billion pounds of bananas annually. [ [http://www.portofsandiego.org/sandiego/specialevents/40th/index.html 40 Fact reflecting 40 Years of Service] at portofsandiego.org]

Maritime

The Port of San Diego administers two marine cargo facilities, Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal and National City Marine Terminal. The Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal is a 96 acre multi-purpose eight berth facility. Inbound cargo includes refrigerated commodities, fertilizer, cement, break bulk commodaties, and forest products. The terminal features an on-dock state-of-the-art 300,000 square foot cold storage facility warehousing a variety of fresh produce and other perishables. The National City Marine Terminal is a 125 acre seven berth facility operated by Pasha services, which processed over 500,000 vehicles during fiscal year 2006-2007. The National City Marine Terminal serves as the primary port of entry for Honda, Acura, Isuzu, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi Fuso, and Hino Motors. [ [http://www.portofsandiego.org/sandiego_maritime/ms_factsheetinfo.asp Maritime Fact Sheet] at portofsandiego.org] [ San Diego Unified Port District Annual Report 2007]

Cruise

The Port's main cruise facility is located at B Street Pier in downtown San Diego along North Harbor Drive. The Port of San Diego manages three cruise berths, one of which is the year-round homeport for the Carnival Elation. The primary cruise lines that service San Diego include Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Princess Cruises. The Port of San Diego has experienced a 44-percent growth in cruise calls in four years, growing from 122 calls in 2002 to 219 calls in 2006. Passenger numbers have more than doubled in that time from 276,000 in 2002 to 619,000 in 2006. [ San Diego Unified Port District Annual Report 2006]

Environment

Environmental stewardship is a key role the Port of San Diego plays. The Port engages in public education for both adults and school children regarding pollution prevention. The Port protects San Diego bay through stormwater management and endangered species management. In addition, the bay is protected and improved through removal of hazardous waste and contaminated sediments.

Real Estate

Real Estate is one of five strategic activity areas of the Port of San Diego. The Port currently administers approximately 400 separate tenancy agreements. Revenue from real estate assets and developments, primarily building and ground rents and concession fees, was approximately $62 million in FY 2001-2002. The Port of San Diego collects rents from many hotels, restaurants, parking facilities, yacht clubs, etc. around the San Diego Bay.

Hotels

San Diego Bay is home to many large scale luxury hotels. The Port of San Diego currently holds tenancy agreements with more than 15 hotels, including Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego and San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina.

hip Yards

There are currently three ship yards on San Diego Bay, National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), Continental Maritime of San Diego, and Southwest Marine. NASSCO is the largest new construction shipyard on the west coast of the United States; "specializing in auxiliary and support ships for the U.S. Navy and oil tankers and dry cargo carriers for commercial markets." [http://www.nassco.com/ NASSCO website]

Harbor Police

The San Diego Harbor Police Department is the law enforcement authority for the Port of San Diego. Harbor Police jurisdiction includes San Diego Bay, San Diego International Airport, and all tidelands around the bay.

ee also

* List of ports in the United States
* San Diego
* National City, California
* Chula Vista
* Coronado, California
* Imperial Beach, California
* Embarcadero

References

External links

* [http://www.portofsandiego.org] - Port of San Diego website
* [http://www.thebigbay.com] - Port of San Diego Big Bay website
* [http://www.sandiegocruiseport.com] - Port of San Diego Cruise Ship website