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Commission approves $242 million TCIF commitment for Port of Oakland phase despite litigation claim
Summary
The Transportation Commission approved amendments to the OHIT baseline agreement and the project funding plan for Phase 1 of the Oakland Army Base redevelopment (OHIT), committing $242 million in TCIF funds. Speakers included Port and city officials and a plaintiff who said she had filed litigation and requested a delay.
The Transportation Commission approved actions to revise the scope, cost, schedule and funding plan for Phase 1 of the Outer Harbor Intermodal Terminal (OHIT) — a major element of the Oakland Army Base redevelopment master plan — and adopted an environmental addendum and related findings.
Staff described Phase 1 as a $499 million package of transportation‑oriented infrastructure to serve the redeveloped base and port. The commission’s existing TCIF (Trade Corridor Investment Fund) commitment to the OHIT project remains $242 million; staff said the remainder of Phase 1 funding would come from the Port of Oakland, the City of Oakland, a USDOT TIGER grant of $15 million and private investment. To ensure state and federal funds pay only for transportation‑eligible work, staff said Phase 1 was split into segments and TCIF funds are dedicated to the rail access/manifest yard segment and city backbone infrastructure segments.
Staff also presented an addendum to the master‑plan environmental review and findings of overriding considerations; the record reflects that the lead agency concluded the project will have significant unavoidable impacts to transportation/traffic, cultural and historic resources, aesthetics and biological resources, and adopted findings that project benefits outweigh the unavoidable impacts.
During public comment, Jean Hazard said she is a plaintiff in litigation challenging aspects of the city’s disposition and development agreements related to the Oakland Army Base and said she filed lis pendens affecting the property; she asked the commission to delay approval until the court process resolves potential impacts. Port of Oakland Executive Director Omar Benjamin, deputy city administrator Fred Blackwell, developer representatives (including Phil Tagami and private partners) and others urged the commission to approve the baseline amendment and funding plan so the port and city can move forward with construction sequencing and federal TIGER and other match commitments.
After public comment and staff presentation, commissioners voted to approve the baseline agreement amendment, the revised scope/cost/schedule/funding plan, and the environmental addendum and findings. Staff said the amendments tie the state TCIF commitment to discrete, transportation‑eligible segments and that the city remains a co‑signer on the baseline agreement because much of the matching funds derive from city‑controlled land development revenue.
What happens next: with commission approvals the Port, city and project partners may proceed with the procurement and construction steps identified in Phase 1 for the transportation segments funded by TCIF and other sources. The record shows a pending court filing claiming deficiencies in the city’s process; staff and port representatives told the commission they were prepared to proceed and to respond to any legal process as it unfolds.
