IN an effort to bring logistics activities on to port property, the Port of Oakland has started to build a Trade and Logistics Centre to handle imports, exports and act as a transshipment hub with intermodal rail service.

Built in phases over the next 10 years on the site of the former Oakland Army Base, the US$500 million first phase will create one million square feet of warehousing and a 10-acre BNSF and Union Pacific railyard.

As part of the $1.2 billion Oakland global master plan, the project includes logistics and cold-storage facilities, an intermodal railyard and grade separations, reports the Journal of Commerce.

The warehousing and transloading potential planned for the project is expected to help Oakland attract more exports, particularly, agricultural produce from California.

The addition of transshipment capability on port property should attract containerised imports that will be transloaded into 53-foot domestic containers for inland transport.

"The port already has the deep channels, berths, cranes, dock space, wharf length, labour force and Class 1 rail partners to be a world-class seaport," said port executive director Chris Lytle.