Port of Redwood City’s Summer Newsletter

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  • by BPC Staff
  • on July 16, 2013
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 Port of Redwood City

Summer Newsletter

      www.redwoodcityport.com                                                               Summer 2013

 

 
 

Our Port is honored to be hosting the 100th anniversary of the Association of Pacific Port’s (APP) annual three-day conference this August 5-7 at Hotel Sofitel.

 

There will be about 80 delegates. APP includes 31 ports in American Samoa, British Columbia, California, Guam, Hawaii, Mexico, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Oregon, Saipan, Taiwan, and Washington.

 

Our Commission chairman, Dick Dodge, is president of the APP Board of Directors, a position that he also held 24 years ago when the Port sponsored APP. We will bring the delegates to the Port of Redwood City on August 5 for a tour, including our port wharves modernization project that is detailed below.

 

Redwood City Mayor Alicia Aguirre has graciously accepted our invitation to welcome the delegates at the conference opening ceremony. We are proud to show off our Port and our City to guests from the member APP ports and the associate members – what we call the providers of many of our projects and endeavors.  

 

This newsletter also contains an article about increased shipping, our best in terms of metric tonnage since 2006.  

 

Thank you for reading.

 

Sincerely,

Mike Giari, Executive Director
Port of Redwood City

IN THIS ISSUE

Wharves 1 & 2 Modernization Update

13% Increase in Cargo Movement

Commission Adopts Budget

Marina Update

CommunitySailing Group New PortFest Co-Host

Wharves 1 & 2 Modernization Project Update  

 

Pouring concrete for wharves modernization

Reconstruction and modernization of the Port’s Wharves 1 & 2 reached a major milestone recently with the completion of the pouring of the new concrete deck. The large wharf deck, 426 ft. by 58 ft., required two day-long pours of concrete which were about two weeks apart. Each pour required 800-820 cubic yards of concrete delivered to the Port construction site in 95-100 “ready mix” concrete trucks. The concrete was provided by Granite Rock from their large construction materials facility located less than a mile from the Port. The mix of concrete included fly ash and aggregates from Cemex, a major Port tenant.

 

The large concrete deck of the wharf is supported by 115 concrete pilings that were driven in November/December 2012 by the project contractor, Manson Construction. The wharf will be used to dock large dry bulk ships of a size known as “Panamax,” the largest ships currently able to pass though the Panama Canal. Mobile cranes and large hoppers will be able to load/unload ships from the deck of the new wharf. Thirty-foot wide concrete ramps will connect the wharf to shore and will be completed in August.

 

Construction started in September 2012 with the demolition of the over 60 year old wooden Wharves 1 & 2 and the adjacent warehouse built by the US Navy during World War II. A 920-foot long seawall designed to meet storm surges and predicted sea level rise has been built along the shore of the Port adjacent to the new wharf. Additional improvements at the Port that are part of the Wharves 1 & 2 project include: a new 800 sq. ft. longshoreman’s building (to be constructed by a Redwood City firm, Beals Martin), upgraded water/electric utilities, new roads, exterior lighting, and parking area.

 

Project completion is on schedule for late 2013.

 

 

 

 

13% Increase in Cargo Movement, Highest Since 2006

 

Shipping up 13%

Reflecting a significant increase in construction in the Bay Area and the high quality of building materials from British Columbia, the Port of Redwood City experienced a 13 percent increase in cargo movement across its docks for the fiscal year 2012/2013 that ended June 30.The 12-month figure was 1,493,190 metric tons (MT), up from 1,319,918 metric tons from the previous fiscal year and the highest at the Port since 2006.

          

Imports of sand and aggregates totaled 1,044,805 MT, 21 percent higher than the previous fiscal year.

           

“The high quality of the sand and gravel aggregates from British Columbia combined with the dwindling supply of these materials in Northern California because quarries are unable to expand triggered a strong demand that the Port benefitted from,” said Executive Director Michael J. Giari.

           

The building aggregates arrive at the Port by ships that contain self-unloading features, provided by Canadian Steamship Lines. 

 

Eagle Rock Aggregates is the supplier of these high quality construction aggregates. The company operates the Orca Quarry, located on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island, BC, which is a very high quality sand and gravel resource with significant long-term capacities.

 

This increase helped offset a two percent decrease in exports of shredded scrap metal by Sims Metal Management. Sims exported 304,957 metric tons.Other materials for the FY included:   46,825 MT of imported gypsum, 63,555 MT of imported bauxite (an 18 percent increase), and 30,049 MT of domestic (SF Bay) sand.

 

Operations Manager Don Snaman said 84 vessels (62 ships and 22 barges) made calls during the year, compared to 74 vessels (48 ships and 26 barges) the year before.

 

 

Commission Adopts FY 2013-2014 Budget

 

The Port Commission has approved its fiscal year 2013-2014 budget, projecting operating revenues at $6,028,760 and operating expenses at $4,315,320. The budget projects subvention of $361,750 to be paid to the City of Redwood City from the Port’s operating revenue; net income is projected at $805,040 after subvention and net non-operating expenses.

             

Operating revenue assumptions, reported Executive Director Michael Giari, include:

  • 1,308,000 metric tons of cargo, composed primarily of imported construction sand and aggregates and exported scrap metal. Regional demand for construction sand and aggregates imported from Canada has been growing due its exceptional quality, as well as increased regional building activity. However, demand for imported cement has not yet reached a level that exceeds domestic sources of supply, and therefore it is not expected to ship through the Port in FY 2013-2014. Recycled scrap metal tonnage declined in FY 2012-2013 and is expected to remain relatively low in FY 2013-2014 due to weaker demand for its export to Asia.
  • Recreational boating revenue is anticipated to increase as occupancy rises and berth rate increases become effective. Commercial rental revenue is expected to decrease slightly; rent increases are expected to be offset by a temporary vacancy.  
  • The budget data includes $4.3 million in operating expense; two-thirds is attributable to operations and one-third to administration. Budgeted at $1.3 million, depreciation expense continues to rise as the Port’s capital improvement plans are executed and new assets are placed into use.

 The Fiscal Year 2013-14 budget data includes $8.5 million for capital expenditures, of which $6 million is attributable to the Wharves 1 & 2 project. Engineering for that project began in FY2012-13 and construction is expected to be completed in January, 2014, at a total estimated cost of $17.1 million. The project has been funded with a combination of Port cash reserves and the proceeds of the Port’s $10 million Series 2012 Revenue Bonds.

             

The Port of Redwood City operates from its own revenues and receives no tax dollars. It is one of the few ports in the nation that returns funds from its net income to the city.

 

 

 

Port of Redwood City Marina Update 

 

Marina at night 

Rates for boats berthed at the Port of Redwood City Marina are being accessed 3.2 to 4.8 percent per foot increases, except for 65-foot and larger and end ties. The increase translates to 25-cents to 30-cents per foot.

           

The Port’s Harbormaster, Rich Ferrari, recently performed a survey of South Bay marinas comparing rates and vacancy factors. The survey indicated that since 2010 marina rates have risen slowly and vacancy has declined at most marinas. These trends are due to the overall improvement in the economy and a resulting increase in demand for boat berthing facilities.

           

These conditions indicated that there was room for a modest increase in rates at the Port Marina. The cost of operating and maintaining recreational boating facilities has also increased. Combined with the increase in Marina vacancies, which began in 2010, the Marina has operated for several years at a slight deficit. The increase in rates, combined with an increase in occupancy, will generate an additional $30,000 in FY14 and will put the Marina at nearly break even.

 

 

 

Community Sailing Group New Co-Host

 

Pictures from previous PortFest

Join Us this October 5, 2013,  

at Redwood City PortFest!

 

The Redwood City Port Commission has announced that the Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation (PYSF) will be a new co-host of PortFest, scheduled Saturday, October 5 at the Port.

             

PortFest is an annual showcase of the working and recreational Port of Redwood City waterfront. The all-day festival features boat rides, working waterfront tours, live music, food and drink, arts and crafts, children’s activities, and much more. Admission and parking are free.

             

PYSF is a community sailing group that provides instruction, coaching, practice, and racing opportunities for Peninsula youth. It is located at 1200 Chesapeake Drive, near the Port’s public boat launching ramps.

            

“Our primary mission is to coach, teach and nurture youth sailors in the Bay Area,” explains PYSF Director and Head Coach Molly O’Bryan Vandemoer. “Many of the middle school and high school sailors in PYSF have developed into some of the top sailors in the Bay Area, the West Coast, or have even become some of the top sailors in the U.S.”

            

After finishing up a 2012 Olympic Campaign, finishing fifth in the Elliot 6M women’s match racing, Vandemoer was hired for her position. Since then the foundation has experienced a boom in both participation and overall organization.

             

 

Molly O’Bryan Vandemoer

 

“Before leaving for the Games I knew I was going to need something to keep me busy when I returned,”she said and the PYSF job certainly has done that. The program was in need of a full-time director to help instill consistent organization, practices, and a logical plan for the kids and parents to follow.”

             

PYSF’S year-round sailing programs provide opportunities for sailing in small (12 – 15 foot long) sailboats including, Flying Juniors and Lasers. During the summer PYSF offers fun, in-depth summer camps for boys and girls to learn to sail and race in small boats. There are also clinics for experienced sailors.

             

For more information about PYSF, visit  www.pysf.us  

             

For more information about PortFest, visit www.rwcportfest.org 

             

For more information about the Port of Redwood City, visit  www.redwoodcityport.com  

 

 

 

Port of Redwood City  |  675 Seaport Blvd  |  Redwood City, CA 94063

      

 

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