Community, Environment, Jobs and Cargo Among Top Port Priorities in 2024

Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka Outlines the Year Ahead in Keynote at 2024 ‘State of the Port’ Event

In his ninth annual “State of the Port” address before a crowd of more than 575 community, business and labor stakeholders, Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka recently presented the port’s top initiatives and plans for the coming year. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker and all five Los Angeles Harbor Commissioners were among those in attendance.

Focus areas include community investment, environmental leadership, workforce development and improving infrastructure to handle additional cargo.

“Our priorities for 2024 center on delivering results that California needs and expects,” Seroka told attendees at the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association-hosted luncheon at the Los Angeles World Cruise Center. “Our work in the year ahead will entail moving forward on a number of fronts, all of which reflect how much we value our community, the environment, and the jobs and workforce that moves cargo through our port.”

Seroka reported that in 2023 – and for the 24th consecutive year – the Port of Los Angeles ranked as the nation’s No. 1 container port. When final data is available next week, the port will have processed more than 8.6 million container units in 2023. While that is a decline of about 13% compared to the previous year, the port saw a strong rebound in the last five months and an uptick in market share.

“The good news is that global trade is now edging up and we are looking forward to a return to more normal cargo volume levels in the year ahead,” Seroka said.

Seroka emphasized community engagement and investment, announcing that the $77 million Wilmington Waterfront Promenade grand opening will be held on Saturday, February 3. Later that day, the new waterfront public space will host the port’s annual Lunar New Year Festival.

“With the Banning’s Landing Community Center at one end and a future youth aquatic center at the other, this new public space will be an instant landmark,” Seroka said.

Later this year, the port will break ground on the $65 million Avalon Promenade and Gateway Project, which will connect the Wilmington community to its waterfront.

In San Pedro, construction is moving quickly on the 42-acre West Harbor retail and dining development with Phase 1 expected to open in 2025.

“While the port is completing the final phase of the San Pedro Waterfront Pedestrian Promenade, West Harbor is building 375,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor retail, entertainment and dining space – even a dog park that will offer craft beer and other refreshments,” Seroka told the crowd. “And that’s just phase one.”

Meanwhile, AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles has broken ground on a 180,000-square foot buildout of its warehouse space at the port’s historic City Dock No. 1. The $28 million project – funded in part by the state and port – will transform AltaSea’s Center for Innovation into a critical mass of marine and blue-tech related research, education and technology enterprises.

Additional community-related initiatives include several transportation projects to ease truck and commuter traffic. The new Harbor Blvd. Onramp and offramp upgrades between the Vincent Thomas Bridge and Harbor Freeway will break ground this year.