LA Port to get new container staging facility

A new $130 million container staging facility designed to boost productivity will be constructed on Terminal Island at the Port of Los Angeles.

The Harbor Performance Enhancement Center (HPEC) — a public-private partnership dedicated to facilitating freight movement and supply-chain efficiencies — has reached an agreement with Macquarie Principal Finance to provide capital for the development of the 5.5 million-square-foot container hub.

When completed, the hub will take 3,500 truckloads per day from nearby container terminals to the HPEC staging area, HPEC officials said in a press release.

The HPEC will be designed to improve flow, increase velocity, reduce emissions, add jobs and enhance the efficiency of imported containers passing through the 14 marine terminals at the San Pedro Bay complex, they said.

"The HPEC development presents a truly unique opportunity to make the San Pedro Harbor the most competitive gateway for transpacific freight while reducing community impacts of the nation's most important artery," said HPEC Founder and Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Rosenthal.