The Port of Long Beach is lining up a move into downtown, with plans in motion to buy the Oceangate office tower and turn it into a hub for maritime trade firms and workforce training. The idea is to bring port-focused employers and job programs closer to Pine Avenue, hotels, and the shoreline while still staying just a few miles from the cargo terminals.
The potential purchase was first reported July 14 by L.A. Business First, which noted that the 13-story waterfront property at 100 Oceangate is expected to house maritime trade companies alongside workforce-development programs. The outlet framed the move as an effort to build a downtown-facing maritime trade hub that links hiring and training directly to the harbor economy.
What the port would be buying
The Oceangate tower, built in the early 1970s, includes roughly 225,486 square feet of office space, according to public property records. PropertyShark lists the building as a sizable waterfront office asset in the heart of downtown Long Beach, and the property’s marketing site currently highlights leasing and management contacts.
How this fits into a longer strategy
Ports across the San Pedro Bay have been building out workforce and goods-movement training plans in recent years. The Port of Los Angeles, working with Long Beach, has advanced an Initial Study and Notice of Preparation for a joint Goods Movement Workforce Training Facility that would train workers on terminal equipment and port trades. Port of Los Angeles materials describe that project as a first-of-its-kind training center focused on port occupations.
Local coverage has also followed a broader slate of waterfront redevelopment efforts and industrial diversification in Long Beach, from proposed turbine-assembly projects and waterfront activation work to hotel and housing conversions, creating the backdrop for a stronger downtown port presence. The Long Beach Business Journal has detailed nearby proposals and planning work that help define what a maritime hub in downtown could mean for the city.
Next steps and what to watch
Key deal terms, including a purchase price and closing timeline, were not included in the initial coverage, and no port statement with specific dates has been released. L.A. Business First remains the first published account of the effort; port and city records will be the places to watch for formal filings, any Harbor Commission actions and detailed plans for tenants and programming in the building.
If completed, the acquisition would mark a visible step toward concentrating maritime-facing jobs and training programs in downtown Long Beach, a shift that could alter everyday traffic patterns, boost weekday foot traffic for nearby restaurants and give the city a new, centrally located anchor for port-related hiring initiatives. Officials at the port and the city did not provide additional details at the time of reporting.
