By Karen Robes Meeks
Could bulk shipping operations return to the Port of Oakland for the first time in two decades?
This week, port commissioners authorized talks to start with Vancouver-based Eagle Rock Aggregates on a potential 15-year lease for one berth on Outer Harbor.
According to the port, the Canadian building materials shipper is looking for a vessel berth and 20 acres of adjacent land at the Port’s Outer Harbor Terminal for sand and gravel transport and distribution to construction sites in the Bay Area.
“This is an opportunity for us to perhaps diversify our business,” said John Driscoll, the port’s Maritime Director. “We’ve built the Port of Oakland to be a global gateway for containerized cargo but a steady, divergent revenue stream could be beneficial.”