OpenAI has locked in a lease for a sprawling industrial building at 1411 Harbour Way South in Richmond, planting one of the world's most closely watched AI companies on the city's working waterfront. The deal would put the firm in Portside Commerce Center's Terminal 3, a newly built, warehouse-style facility with dock doors and direct access to the water. For Richmond residents, the move could eventually reshape local hiring and harbor activity, depending on how OpenAI decides to use all that space.
The Mercury News first reported the lease after reviewing county records that list a tenant for the Portside Commerce Center. That reporting notes the property had been marketed by JLL and that city and port officials were aware of the filing but had not yet shared any specifics about OpenAI's operational plans in Richmond.
What the Building Includes
Broker materials show Terminal 3 offers between about 101,185 and 202,371 square feet of industrial and distribution space, with potential layouts that include office buildouts and dock access, according to JLL. Market listings put the finished structure at roughly 202,371 square feet on a 25.9-acre parcel with about 230 parking spaces and dedicated deep-water port access, a footprint large enough to accommodate hundreds of workers based on the square footage and parking capacity, per CommercialCafe.
History of the Site and Local Context
The Portside Commerce Center was originally slated to house Richmond battery maker Moxion Power, but that plan fell through last year, leaving a nearly completed warehouse searching for a new anchor tenant, as local coverage has detailed. Regional permitting records show the Terminal 3 site sits inside a Bay Plan port-priority area and has active permit filings with the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, conditions that could shape how the waterfront is used in the future, according to BCDC.
What It Means for the Bay Area
The Richmond deal slots into a string of big real estate plays by OpenAI. The company recently inked a substantial Mountain View campus lease that industry coverage puts at roughly 439,000 to 450,000 square feet, highlighting ongoing demand for expansive Bay Area space, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. For the East Bay, a deep-pocketed tenant moving into a waterfront terminal could bring new jobs and supply-chain spending, while city officials and labor groups watch closely to see whether the site turns into an office hub, a logistics operation or some hybrid in between.
The City of Richmond's lease records show Terminal 3 addresses are registered with municipal listings and that the Port continues to oversee waterfront use, meaning any major tenant has to navigate local lease terms and permitting requirements, according to the City of Richmond. OpenAI and property brokers did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and county filings reviewed by news outlets provided the first public confirmation of the lease, The Mercury News reported.
