LB port board approves temporary headquarters

   The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Monday voted to purchase an office building in east Long Beach to serve as temporary headquarters for the Port of Long Beach administrative offices.
   The port’s administrative staff of about 350 people is expected to move to the building, near Long Beach Airport, sometime next year. The board stressed that the move is temporary, and discussions will begin soon on building a permanent headquarters in or near downtown Long Beach.
   “I am relieved that we have identified a secure, temporary home,” said Board President Susan Anderson Wise. “Regardless of what address we have, this port will continue to be a leader in the shipping industry.”
   Wise, and commissioners Rich Dines, Doug Drummond and Nick Sramek voted in favor of purchasing the Airport Plaza building. Board Vice President Thomas Fields voted against.
   The decision on where to relocate the port’s administrative offices touched off a dispute between harbor commissioners earlier this year.
   The purchase price for the vacant building, which was once occupied by the Boeing Corp., is $14.3 million. The port expects to spend another $9 million in renovations. The closing date for escrow is Dec. 27.
   The current port administration building, built in 1959 and located adjacent to the port, is overcrowded and does not meet today’s seismic standards. – Eric Johnson