Port of San Francisco seeks proposals for Pier 70 shipyard operator

The port originally issued a request for proposals for a new operator of the Pier 70 shipyard on Aug. 15, 2017, and only received one proposal, but the re-issued request for proposals is expected to have broadened parameters.    After receiving an underwhelming response to its first attempt, the Port of San Francisco says it now plans to re-issue a request for proposals (RFP) for a new operator of its Pier 70 shipyard in the coming weeks.
   The target date for port commission consideration is Feb. 27, the port said in a Jan. 9 statement.
   The port originally issued an RFP for a new operator of the Pier 70 shipyard on Aug. 15 and received three responses, but only one proposal – from Portland, Ore.-based Vigor Industrial – was deemed to be responsive, according to the Port of San Francisco.
   After reviewing the information received during the RFP process, the port decided to re-issue the RFP to broaden its parameters.
   The port said it intends to propose to the port commission a new RFP that will allow the possibility of public investment in the shipyard’s infrastructure, as well as consideration of capital equipment ownership transfer to facilitate financing of needed facility improvements.
   These options were not included in the original RFP.
   “This broadening of the parameters of the RFP may offer more flexibility in making proposals and is intended to attract a larger bidder pool,” the port explained in a statement.
   The shipyard previously operated as BAE Ship Repair since 2005, until it was taken over by Tacoma-based Puglia Engineering in 2016. Puglia ceased operations at the location in May 2017. Since then, the Port of San Francisco has been paying all expenses for maintaining the facility and plans to do so until a new tenant and shipyard operator are named.
   “The port is fully committed to finding the right ship repair operator and maintaining industrial maritime uses at the Pier 70 shipyard,” the Port of San Francisco said in a statement.
   The shipyard site includes 14.7 acres of land, as well as 17.4 acres of submerged property. The land includes 16 buildings and port-owned assets with multiple floating dry docks and an 8,000 ampere shoreside power system.