A celebration was held Tuesday to mark the completion of upgrades for the Port of San Diego's Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, which will now be able to accommodate more shipments.
Tuesday's ceremony marks the culmination of almost three years of construction along San Diego Bay. Until now, the Marine Terminal was primarily used by Dole fruit ships to bring bananas and pineapples to the region, but the new improvements will allow for more maritime cargo business.
The new renovations include improvements to utilities and on-dock rails, as well as new lighting and pavement. The project also removed two obsolete warehouses and created a laydown area for project cargo.
"I think this project is absolutely the definition of forward-thinking," San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said at a celebratory press conference on Tuesday. "It revitalizes an existing terminal to meet and exceed the region’s trade needs, not just for today, but for tomorrow.”
The $24 million project kicked off in December 2017. More than 500 new, long-term jobs are anticipated to be available following completion of the terminal’s redevelopment plan.
“This $24 million investment is an investment that is going to pay off time and time again for decades to come,” Faulconer said.
Dennis DeBard, co-chair of the Port of San Diego Working Waterfront Group, was among the leaders to speak at the press conference. He said workers are looking forward to being able to expand their horizons with the terminal's new capability.
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"Having a workplace that now allows us to handle all types of cargo without any obstacles in place gives us a fresh perspective on how efficient we can be on our jobs," DeBard said. "Local 29 feels confident now, knowing there is an infrastructure in place we can continue to grow into for generations ahead."
