The prickly tumbleweed and pesky geese remain at the former Naval Air Station in Alameda, but the sprawling property is now far different from when the military base piped scores of men, machinery and supplies across the Pacific.
From World War II through the Korean conflict and Vietnam, the base supported the Department of the Navy‘s defense mission until it closed in 1997. But these days, many of the former airplane hangars and old military buildings are occupied by transportation startup companies, joining the distilleries, sports clubs and catering companies that have called the base home on and off since the Navy left.
More than a dozen maritime, aviation and space companies have set up shop at the former waterfront base, now called Alameda Point. While there are some homes on the former military installation, a push to add more housing has been stalled amid environmental issues.
Alameda Point appeals to advanced manufacturing businesses in transportation due to its proximity to the Bay Area’s skilled labor force, the large spaces in the former hangars, and the availability of high power from Alameda Power at cheap rates, roughly half the cost of PG&E’s power, according to Abigail Thorne-Lyman, director of base reuse. While advocates say the cluster of transportation companies has sparked innovation, some residents worry the city is not moving fast enough to redevelop the base to accommodate badly needed housing.
Saildrone, which this year was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential Companies, leases a massive workspace at Alameda Point, along with companies like Rain and Pyka, autonomous aircraft companies.
A Saildrone floats in the lagoon where the company is leasing a workspace at Alameda Point in Alameda, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
“Our company was born here in Alameda. It’s an island, so the access to the water has been essential to us,” said Barak Ben-Gal, the chief financial officer for Saildrone, which develops small robotic sailboats whose sensors gather atmospheric and ocean data that is used in maritime security and for scientific research.
Ben-Gal said the company runs its operations from a 100,000-square-foot former hangar and a 50,000-square-foot old military warehouse. “Trying to convert that to office space would be very difficult. You need something with high ceilings. If it was a one-story office, our drones wouldn’t fit,” he added.
Navier, a startup that has developed the world’s longest-range electric boat, moved to a former Navy storage facility about three years ago. Sam Seder, the company’s head of operations, said the decision was a good one.
“Alameda is a great partner for us; we’ve worked closely with the city and the Alameda Chamber of Commerce,’’ Seder said. “The biggest (perks) are the infrastructure and the space. There is also a strong feeling of innovation out here because there’s a lot of startups.”
For nearly 25 years, the city has planned to redevelop the former base, but full redevelopment has been hampered by land-use constraints, soil and groundwater contamination (the former base is a Super Fund site), …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
