Los Angeles: Vision and Funding for Urban Marine Research and Innovation Center

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Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, joined by Port of Los Angeles officials, philanthropic leaders, marine scientists, students and community members, on June 17 outlined a vision to transform City Dock No. 1, a 100-year-old pier on the Los Angeles waterfront in San Pedro, into an urban marine research and innovation center. 

The 28-acre site will be called AltaSea and will be developed through a public-private partnership between the port, a non-profit organization, and various regional public and private universities. Funding commitments for Phase 1 of the project already amount to $57 million, including $32 million in site-related capital investments by the Port of Los Angeles and a $25 million gift from the Annenberg Foundation to get the project underway. Phase 1 is currently estimated to cost $155 million with a 2018 completion goal. 

The facility will feature circulating sea-water labs, offices, classrooms, lecture halls, support facilities, an interpretive center, and an opportunity to develop the world’s largest seawater wave tank for studying tsunamis and rogue waves. The anchor tenant of Phase 1 will be the Southern California Marine Institute, an alliance of 11 major universities in southern California with marine science academic and research programs. The entire project cost is estimated at more than $500 million with completion taking from 15 to 20 years. 

The 28-acre AltaSea campus will be located along 4,100 linear feet of Port of Los Angeles waterfront dock and wharf space with direct harbor and ocean access. The waterfront site features multiple deep-draft berths to accommodate large research vessels. It will offer more than 200,000 square feet of available clear-span adaptable research and development space for co-location of marine scientists, researchers, educators and industry entrepreneurs. Last October, the Los Angeles Harbor Commission certified the final Environmental Impact Report for the project.