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Oakland

The Navy is closing several bases in the San Francisco Bay area, including Mare Island, NSY Hunters Point, NAVSTA Treasure Island, NAVMEDCEN Oakland, NAS Alameda, FISC Oakland, and further south, NCEL Port Hueneme.

The Oakland Fleet and Industrial Supply Center (FISC) was located on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay, within the Port of Oakland. The facility opened in 1941 and began support operations for World War II. In September 1995, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission of 1995recommended closure of FISC. A Base Closure Plan (BCP) was completed in October 1996. The Navy has leased parcels to the Port of Oakland, under a special legislation, Public Law 102-484. A balance-of-the-base lease signed in August of 1997 completed long term leasing all parcels comprising FISC Oakland to the Port of Oakland. The installation closed in September 1998.

For a number of years, the Port of Oakland had been working to obtain additional waterfront property to expand its port terminal operations. The port's "Vision 2000" planning process indicated that construction of a Joint Intermodal Terminal (JIT) railroad facility would allow them to double their throughput of cargo to and from the largest container ships. Negotiations continued for several years but were hampered by such factors as lack of port funding and failure to agree on what form of payment (fair market value, in kind, etc.) the Navy would receive for any land transferred. It was not until August 1993, when President Clinton signed special legislation to allow the Navy to transfer excess real estate to the port for nominal consideration, that progress on the PPV finally began. Following this legislation, the Navy leased vacant portions of FISCO property in 1994, 1995, and 1996 as the land became available due to tenant relocation or closures. In August of 1997, the Navy executed a master lease with the Port of Oakland for all remaining property, with a Navy reservation for FISCO occupied areas until its closure. Reuse will be in accordance with the Port of Oakland's "Vision 2000" plan.

The hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) arrived at her new home at the Naval Submarine Base, San Diego, 02 July 1997, after participating in Exercise Kernel Blitz. Mercy had been homeported in Oakland since 1987.

Ever since the Oakland Naval Supply Depot was established in December 1941, the commanding officer was not only the head of the Supply Center operation but also the base landlord for tenants. In September 1995, when the BRAC decision to close FISCO became final, there were more than 40 tenant activities. Most of these were federal tenants and were eligible to use BRAC funding for their relocation or disestablishment costs. Our largest tenant was the Defense Distribution Depot Oakland (DDOC), but a BRAC '93 decision had directed its closure.

In July 1995, the BRAC Commission recommended the complete closure of Oakland Army Base (OARB) by July 2001 and relocation of the mission of the Military Traffic Management Command, Western Area (MTMCWA) and the 1302nd Major Port Command, which operated the Military Ocean Terminal Bay Area (MOTBA).

Naval Air Station (NAS) Alameda is located on Alameda Island, which lies at the western end of the city of Alameda in Alameda County CA. NAS Alameda was listed for closure by the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission and was closed 30 April 1997.

Since the Naval Medical Center Oakland, CA, which is also known as Oak Knoll Naval Hospital. was designated for closure in 1993, the Department of the Navy, through the Naval Facilities Engineering Command's Engineering Field Activity West (EFA West) in San Bruno, has worked with the city of Oakland and the Oakland Base Reuse Authority (OBRA) to inform the city and OBRA about the various statutory authorities that govern conveyance of the Oak Knoll property.

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Originally created by John Pike
Updated Sunday, December 06, 1998 5:59:17 AM