Commission approves five-year lease for EcoCenter at Heron's Head Park with Bay Institute Aquarium Foundation

Leasing staff requested approval of Lease No. 15771 with the Bay Institute Aquarium Foundation to operate the EcoCenter at Heron's Head Park. The proposed lease term is five years with two optional two‑year extensions at the port’s discretion. Key special conditions include a nominal rent of $1 per year for a qualifying nonprofit tenant operating under a port‑approved operations and program plan and port responsibility for building maintenance costs.

The foundation’s operations plan documents commitments to environmental education, including programs that support Greenagers (a youth program for District 10), after‑school programming from the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI), and Science Saturdays for families and volunteers. The tenant will establish a community advisory committee co‑chaired by the Bay Institute Aquarium Foundation and APRI and will report quarterly to the port on plan implementation. Staff said the EcoCenter will be made broadly available to city departments and community groups for compatible uses, and any changes to partner MOUs (for example, if APRI or City College withdraw) would require port approval and likely a substitution to maintain capacity.

Commissioners asked about termination clauses in the MOUs, fee policies for community use and operational oversight; staff confirmed the original intent that the facility be widely available to nonprofits and that any future fee charging would be subject to port approval. Commissioners expressed support, and the commission voted to approve the lease.

Next steps: staff will return as requested to update the commission on implementation progress and the operations plan.