By Karen Robes Meeks
The nearly 5,000 sailors who arrive at the Port of Oakland annually on container ships will continue to have Oakland’s International Maritime Center as a safe place to rest, thanks to the Port Commissioners’ recent decision to extend for the next five years its rent-free lease with the Center.
The lease encompasses 0.2 acres of land near Ben E. Nutter marine terminal. The operators of the International Maritime Center own the building.
The center is a resource for visiting sailors, offering shopping excursions, a place to play billiards and other recreation activities as well as spiritual care through the Seafarers Ministry of the Golden Gate, Apostleship of the Sea, Korean Presbyterian, and others.
“Our role is to recognize and appreciate the contributions of seafarers and shipping to the Bay Area,” International Maritime Center Director John Claassen said. “We provide a safe space for the seafarers and the Port community to just take a break.”
Friday, December 8, 2017
