By George Economides - Publisher

July 11, 2012 – A discussion on where the administrative staff of the Port of Long Beach will move to is heating up. The Business Journal reported in its July 3 issue that the decision had been narrowed to either the World Trade Center building or a building at the Long Beach Airport Business Park formerly occupied by Boeing.

Since that story, a new Web site has sprung up with the heading, “Keep The Long Beach Port HQ in Downtown.” The “author” of the site has not been identified, nor has he/she come forward to take credit for this lobbying effort.

The site, http://longbeachporthq.wordpress.com/, points out seven items it considers would negatively impact downtown if the airport site is chosen:

• loss of business (“retailers and other Downtown businesses will suffer”);
• loss of downtown jobs (“hundreds of Port employees would relocate from the area”);
• increased traffic (“710/405 congested with employee, visitor and port traffic”);
• loss of efficiency (“distance from the Port will waste taxpayer time and money”);
• loss of security (“port security reaction times would suffer making us all less safe”);
• exodus of companies (“port-related firms moving out to be closer to the Port HQ”)
• environmental impact (“increased emissions from increased traffic trips”)

The site says that “a move from downtown could negatively impact our city for many years, if not permanently,” and encourages supporters to attend this Monday’s harbor commission meeting to voice their preference.

Port commissioners are unwilling to comment on their deliberations, other than that a decision is expected soon. Key items are: cost to lease or buy a building; seismic and security issues; and travel distance to the harbor for port staff.