Calling the Oakland Army Base a vital project, Port of Oakland Executive Director Omar R. Benjamin said on Thursday that a redevelopment deal for the site will be put in place this year.

"I am committing to you all today that we will close a deal this year," said Benjamin, who was speaking at the annual Port of Oakland "State of the Port" breakfast event held at the Hilton Oakland Airport Hotel.

Speaking to more than 450 business leaders, politicians and government officials, Benjamin said redeveloping the former army base is an important goal for the port.

"We are working very closely with the city and potential developer partners to make progress and reach an agreement on a deal that will be good for the port, the city, the community and ultimately, for business," Benjamin said.

The Port of Oakland is a major city entity. Established in 1927, the port oversees the Oakland seaport, the Oakland International Airport and 20 miles of waterfront. The Oakland seaport is the fifth busiest container port in the United States and the port's real estate include Jack London Square and hundreds of acres of park and conservation areas.

Currently, the port, along with the city, is in extended negotiations with private developers California Capital Group and AMB Property Corporation, who signed a negotiation agreement with Oakland last year.

Benjamin said the Port is actively engaged in trying to reach an agreement with the army base developers.

"We are conferring almost daily talks with our developer partners and other potential investors and stakeholders who can help ensure an innovative and sustainable project," he said.

The base, roughly 303 acres, was first opened in 1941 and served as a major military hub until it was officially closed in 1999 – part of a wave of military base closures across the country.

Redevelopment of the site is expected to be expensive and complicated. Significant environmental clean-up of the site is needed and basic infrastructure, like establishing electricity and roadways, is expected to cost more than $100 million.

Benjamin also told the breakfast group that this year, the port made good on a pledge to Oakland.

"By working closely with the city to live up to our promise of providing parking for trucks at the former Oakland Army Base, we've already taken nearly 650 trucks off the streets in our community," he said.

Besides its work on the redevelopment of the army base, Benjamin said 2010 was a strong year for the Port of Oakland.

"If you take the job numbers I've mentioned across maritime, aviation and real estate, and you look at the jobs generated by the expenditures of these workers and the organizations that employ them, you learn that the Port of Oakland is directly tied to nearly 50,000 jobs in the region," Benjamin said.

The executive director added that the future also looks bright.

"We have a development pipeline that totals nearly $4 billion, which directly translates into thousands of more jobs to get our economy back on track," he said.

Also at the State of the Port breakfast was Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, who told the gathering that her administration will work closely with the Port of Oakland.

"The commitment we're making to the port is something that goes way beyond the time I'll be mayor," Quan said. "This is a long term commitment to the economic and regional growth, and a commitment to making this port a port that will continue to be competitive into the century."

About Jennifer Inez Ward

A writer and photographer, Jennifer Inez Ward has been documenting Oakland neighborhoods for more than 10 years. A graduate of UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, she focuses on the uniqueness and beauty of everyday life in a city that is too often overlooked for its treasures and pleasures. Throughout the years, Jennifer has had the honor of showcasing her work at a number of venues, including a permanent loan of images that are displayed on the front wall of Barnes and Nobel in Jack London Square. Jennifer is a featured artist documented in “Images of America: Black Artists in Oakland."