AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles: A Business Model to Sustain the Operations of a Blue Economy Nonprofit

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2026.2.10

Published

2026-08-05

Issue

Water & Heritage for Sustainable Development

Section

methodologies and case studies

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Geraldine Knatz

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Knatz, G. (2026). AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles: A Business Model to Sustain the Operations of a Blue Economy Nonprofit. Blue Papers. https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2026.2.10

Keywords:

blue economy, ports, leasing policies, NGO financial stability, public-private partnership

Abstract

The concept of leveraging underutilized port assets to drive innovation and sustainability is gaining traction globally. This paper examines AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, a nonprofit organization operating a 35 acre (14 ha) ocean innovation campus located on a historic pier in the Los Angeles Outer Harbor. A modified leasing and valuation framework that formally recognizes non-compensatory public benefits, such as heritage conservation, public engagement, job creation, education and workforce development, enabled this public-private partnership (PPP) to revitalize an underutilized historic site. A 50-year agreement between the Port of Los Angeles and AltaSea was structured to allow the nonprofit to generate revenue for its longterm viability, ensuring its own mission and the rehabilitation of historic structures. The model suggests a replicable approach for ports seeking to activate historic maritime sites while supporting nonprofit led blue economy ecosystems. 

Author Biography

  • Geraldine Knatz, University of Southern California

    Geraldine Knatz is Professor of the Practice of Policy and Engineering, a joint appointment between the University of Southern California’s School of Public Policy and the School of Engineering. She served as the first female Director of the Port of Los Angeles from 2006 to 2014 and prior to that was Managing Director at the Port of Long Beach. In 2014, she was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for  her international leadership in the development of environmentally clean urban seaports. She is past president of both the American Association of Port Authorities and the International Association of Ports and Harbors and is a member and former chair of the Board of Trustees of AltaSea.

References

ICF Jones & Stokes. 2008. Historic Resources Evaluation Report for Port of Los Angeles, Municipal Pier Nº 1. Prepared for the Los Angeles Harbor Department.

ICOMOS. 2011. The Dublin Principles: Joint ICOMOS–TICCIH Principles for the Conservation of Industrial Heritage Sites, Structures, Areas, and Landscapes. Paris. https://ticcih.org/about/about-ticcih/dublin- principles/.

Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation. 2025. The Blue Economy in Los Angeles County: Charting a Course Forward. https://laedc.org/download/the-blue-economy-in-los-angeles-county-charting-a-course-forward/#1.

OECD. 2025. The Ocean Economy to 2050. Paris: OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/a9096fb1-en.

Port of Seattle. 2019. “The Economic Case for the Maritime Center at Fisherman’s Terminal.” Port of Seattle Commission meeting, January 9, agenda item 7c. https://meetings.portseattle.org/watch/meeting/ 2019_01_08_RM.

World Economic Forum. 2024. “World Maritime Day: How Ports Can Catalyze Blue Economy Innovation.” https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/09/world-maritime-day-ports-blue-economy-innovation/.