From: Liz Taylor
To: Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft; Michele Pryor; Greg Boller; Tony Daysog; Tracy Jensen Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Agenda item 7C Sept 1 City Council meeting Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2026 3:55:28 PM
Attachments: Alameda_Ocean_Exploration_Hub_PPT Liz.pdf
mini roro.jpg
Dear Mayor Ashcraft and esteemed City Council members
Thank you for taking item 7C, “a second lease amendment for DOER Marine”, for a first reading this evening. I appreciate how long these meetings run and the time commitments made by all of you.
I wanted to share with you the attached deck we developed and have discussed with base reuse staff previously. It provides a bit more background and context to the longer range plans DOER has for an enduring future in Building 41. We are laying the groundwork with collaborators but also remain well aware of the uncertainties surrounding Building 41, not only by way of the PFAS and conveyance issues but also the various visioning plans that others have had for the space. DOER’s vision remains steadfast and inclusive for people, for planet, and for community capacity building.
While we continue to need a long term lease, we are grateful for the proposed 18 months in six month increments. This allows for ongoing discussions with base reuse staff towards a decadal or purchase solution.
Our door always remains open should any of you wish to come through to talk about current projects and new developments. Our network of collaborators continues to grow and there are now over 170 Mission Blue Hope Spots in 115 countries, including the SF Bay Hope Spot launched here in Alameda. Our work with Alta Sea at the Port of Los Angeles is helping to bring the BECAP program to Northern California for blue-green workforce development. Multiyear projects with Honu, Tiburon Subsea, Texel, Tanzle.ai, Ocean Shot, and others are ongoing. I’ve also attached the rendering of the electric water taxi design mentioned in the deck. We first shared it with city staff in 2018 and most recently in 2025. It would be a great complement and back up to dear Woodstock.
With best regards,
Liz
Liz Taylor
President
DOER Marine
650 W Tower Ave
Alameda CA 94501
Mobile: 209-482-1020
Office: 510-530-9388
A PROPOSAL FOR THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
The Alameda Ocean
Exploration & Innovation Hub
Turning a legacy Navy hangar into the West Coast's working address for the blue economy — anchored by DOER Marine, built for the companies, students, and ideas that come next.
DOER Marine Operations
Building 41 · Alameda Point, CA
JULY 2026
THE VISION
One Waterfront Was Lost. This One Can Be Built to Last.
Alameda's working waterfront has already been redeveloped once — displacing DOER Marine and a cluster of skilled maritime jobs along with it.
Building 41 is the rare second chance: a real hangar, real water access, and a tenant who already proved the model works.
DOER didn’t just occupy space here — it upgraded infrastructure, made the repairs the City couldn’t, and built a track record of stable, on-time rent through three lease cycles.
The ask isn’t just “renew our lease.” It’s: let’s turn a proven anchor into a full innovation hub — and make Building 41 the place the next generation of ocean companies chooses first.
DOER’s existing high-bay shop inside Building 41 — proof the space already works for advanced marine manufacturing.
ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 2
WHY NOW
The Blue Economy Isn’t Coming — It’s Already Docked
$397B
Contribution of the U.S. blue economy to
GDP (NOAA, most recent baseline)
2.4M
American jobs supported by ocean-linked
industries (NOAA)
6%+
Projected annual growth of the global blue
economy market through the 2030s
Hope Spot
San Francisco Bay’s designation — one of a
select group of Mission Blue conservation
priority sites worldwide
Alameda holds a hand almost no other city on the Bay can play:
● A new ferry terminal, connecting Alameda Point directly to San Francisco and the regional transit network. ● Direct, protected water access at Seaplane Lagoon — historic launch ramps built for exactly this kind of marine testing and demonstration. ● A resident anchor tenant with 34 years of credibility in the ocean-technology sector, already collaborating with nonprofits, schools, and artists on- site.
● A regional blue-tech cluster (Saildrone, Bay Ship & Yacht, and others) that already treats Alameda Point as home —the Hub just gives it a front door.
ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 3
THE ANCHOR TENANT
DOER Marine: 34 Years of Proof This Works
● Thirty-four year track record engineering, operating, and manufacturing subsea vehicles for science, film, and exploration clients worldwide. ● Positioned to serve as home port for a fleet of 1,000-meter-rated submersibles — a capability very few facilities on the West Coast can host. ● Direct Bay access lets DOER serve research-vessel and expeditionary-yacht clients that simply cannot be served from an inland facility.
● Already the connective tissue for the surrounding ecosystem: nonprofits, schools, and artists all use DOER’s space today, before a single dollar of Hub investment. 34 Years in
operation
1,000m
Submersible
depth rating
3 Lease cycles
completed on time
ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 4
THE CONCEPT
One Campus, Six Reasons It Works
Business
DOER plus a curated roster of maritime and blue-tech
companies sharing shop, dock, and office space.
Nonprofits
A permanent “third mooring” for ocean conservation
and education organizations already working with
DOER.
Education
Peralta Colleges, internships, and a youth “passport”
program turning the Hub into a STEM pipeline.
Collaboration with Alta Sea to bring BECAP program
to Alameda
Arts
A rotating home for ocean-themed sculpture,
painting, and the Sylvia Earle maritime library and
archive.
Transportation
Ferry access today; a DOER-built electric water taxi
fleet extending clean transit across the Bay.
Blue / Green Tech
Aquaculture, marine biotech, ocean carbon, and
clean-energy startups sharing one address.
ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 5
THE ASSET
Building 41 Today — Authentic, Under-Used, Ready
Building 41 sits directly on Seaplane Lagoon, between Hangar 40 and the historic seaplane ramps. ≈118,000 sf
Total building footprint (DOER’s 30,000 sf = 25.4%
of that today)
16 + 2
Furnished-ready private offices, plus two
conference rooms, already built out
≈70,000 sf
Remaining high-bay hangar floor — subdividable
with sea-container partitions
1 Direct water frontage on Seaplane Lagoon, with
protected historic launch ramps
Honest about the condition: no air conditioning and real deferred maintenance today. That is precisely why this is priced, and positioned, as an authentic maker-and-innovation address — not a stabilized Class-A asset. A modest, shared capital plan (Section 8) is the difference between “as-is” and “move-in ready.”
ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 6
THE INCUBATOR
A Front Door for the Next Generation of Ocean Companies TIER 1
Harbor Desk
Month-to-month co-working
membership. Shared reception,
conference rooms, and community
programming. The lowest-friction way to
test-drive the ecosystem.
TIER 2
Private Office
The 16 existing ~1,000 sf offices, leased
turnkey with shared amenities — built
for startups that have outgrown a garage
but aren’t ready for market-rate space.
TIER 3
Maker Bay
Subdivided high-bay hangar slips (via
container partitioning) with shared
machine shop, crane access, and priority
scheduling for lagoon testing.
TIER 4
Graduate
Companies that scale move to market-
rate space elsewhere at Alameda Point
or beyond — keeping their roots, their
goodwill, and often their supply
relationships with the Hub.
Every graduating tenant proves the model to the next prospect — the Hub compounds its own credibility instead of relying on Building 41’s condition alone.
ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 7
INCUBATOR ECONOMICS
A Hub That Can Fund Its Own Growth
410
840
275
75 0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Office
Memberships
Maker Bay
Leasing
Sponsorships
& Grants
Events, Tours
& Retail
Illustrative Annual Revenue at Stabilization (Year 4–5, $000s) Total illustrative gross revenue potential:
≈$1.3–$1.9M / year
● Funding sources beyond rent: NOAA Sea Grant, the California Ocean Protection Council’s Blue Economy programs, and
philanthropic ocean funders (e.g., Schmidt Family Foundation). ● Corporate sponsorship of an annual “Innovation Fellows” cohort, branded lab space, or naming rights on the Maker Bay.
● Optional upside: a modest, SAFE-style revenue or equity share in graduate companies — a common accelerator structure that turns today’s tenants into tomorrow’s returns.
These are order-of-magnitude planning estimates built from the tier structure on the prior slide — not a market study. We recommend a short, professional feasibility analysis before either party relies on these figures for budgeting.
ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 8
TENANT PIPELINE
Who Wants This Address
TANZLE — Confirmed Interest
Actively seeking to locate at the Hub — the first proof that Building 41 can attract beyond DOER.
ILLUSTRATIVE OUTREACH TARGETS — SECTOR - ALIGNED, NOT YET COMMITTED Saildrone
Existing Alameda-based ocean-drone maker already testing at Seaplane Lagoon — a natural Maker Bay expansion tenant.
Blue Ocean Gear
Sausalito-based smart-buoy / IoT fishing-gear company; a short relocation across the Bay to a larger, water-adjacent facility.
Sofar Ocean
San Francisco ocean-sensing and data company; a plausible fit for the office incubator tier.
CalWave Power Technologies
Berkeley-based wave-energy developer; a plausible Maker Bay tenant given the need for water-adjacent testing.
Marine biotech / aquaculture startups
Category placeholder — the incubator’s natural growth sector as blue-biotech funding accelerates.
Ocean-carbon & kelp restoration
ventures
Category placeholder — aligned with DOER’s existing Wild Oyster Project and conservation partnerships.
Except for DOER and TANZLE, the organizations above are illustrative, sector-aligned outreach targets identified through DOER’s existing relationships — not confirmed commitments. Target sectors: blue tech, green tech, and multi-tenant marine services. Excluded: shipping/warehousing, residential, and cannabis uses.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Jobs: From One Tenant to an Employment Cluster
40 150
36 135
0 50
100
150
200
250
300
Today Year 5 (Stabilized)
Estimated Employment Impact of a Fully Built-Out Hub
Direct Jobs Indirect & Induced Jobs
~285 total jobs at stabilization
● Direct jobs assume ~1 job per 800–1,200 sf, a typical range for light manufacturing, marine R&D, and startup office density.
● DOER (30,000 sf) ≈ 30 jobs · Office incubator (18,000 sf) ≈ 60 jobs · Maker Bay (70,000 sf) ≈ 58 jobs at full lease-up. ● A regional multiplier of ~1.9x (typical for advanced
manufacturing / tech clusters) captures supplier and
household spending effects.
● These are planning-level estimates. A formal economic impact study should validate the job-density and multiplier assumptions before Council relies on them.
ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 10
ECONOMIC IMPACT
What Grows in the City’s Own Ledger
Revenue Line Illustrative Impact Basis
Base rent under the existing lease structure ≈$252,000–$278,000 / yr Already contracted — DOER’s current footprint alone
Hub-wide rent roll if the balance of Building 41 is leased through the incubator model ≈$900,000–$1.06M / yr (additional) Illustrative, at full build-out (see Section 12) Possessory interest tax base Grows 5–8x current levels Directional — tied to leasehold value growth, not a specific assessment
Business license tax (20–25 hub tenants) ≈$3,000–$10,000 / yr Modest but additive; confirm current fee schedule with City Finance
Sales tax & hospitality spillover (retail, tours, visiting crews) ≈$20,000–$50,000 / yr Retail store, workshops, and expedition-related visitor spending
All figures are illustrative, planning-level estimates prepared for discussion purposes. A formal fiscal/economic impact analysis is recommended before Council adoption.
ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 11
THE BETTER DEAL
Two Paths for Building 41
PATH A —Single Large Tenant (JLL ’s approach) PATH B —DOER-Anchored Innovation Hub Realistic stabilized rent: ≈$0.50–$0.70/sf given disclosed condition — not JLL’s $1.50/sf aspirational figure
Comparable or better realistic rent roll (≈$1.15–$1.34M/yr at build-out) — filled incrementally, starting immediately
12–24+ months of likely vacancy while searching a thin market for one large user Zero vacancy gap: DOER is already in place and paying rent today One tenant, one point of failure — a single vacancy empties the whole building 20+ diversified tenants — no single vacancy threatens the whole building No jobs, education, or conservation benefit beyond the eventual tenant’s own operations
Jobs (≈285 at stabilization), a STEM education pipeline, and a Mission Blue-aligned conservation home base
No constituency at the Sept. Council hearing beyond staff and JLL A visible, popular ribbon-cutting story: jobs, students, and nonprofits the City can point to for years
ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 12
PLACEMAKING
A Rising Tide for the Whole Block
● Building 41 doesn’t sit in isolation — it’s neighbors with Storehouse Lofts, Almanac & Admiral Maltings, Firebrand Artisan Breads, and the Alameda Naval Air Museum.
● Activated, publicly-accessible innovation districts consistently command a measurable property-value premium over comparable but inactive industrial blocks — commonly cited in urban-redevelopment literature in the range of 10–20%.
● A working Ocean Exploration Hub — with tours, a retail storefront, public art, and visiting research vessels — drives the kind of foot traffic that supports the food, retail, and residential uses already investing next door. ● This is not a formal appraisal. It is the direction every comparable waterfront- innovation-district redevelopment has moved, and it costs the City nothing to test.
Existing Neighbors on West Tower Ave
Storehouse Lofts
Residential — direct beneficiary of a more active, walkable block Almanac and Admiral Maltings
Craft malting & tasting rooms — built-in hospitality synergy Firebrand Artisan Breads
Local food producer — natural retail/event partner
Alameda Naval Air Museum
Heritage tourism draw — shared visitor base with the Hub ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 13
EDUCATION
Building the Workforce the Blue Economy Needs
Peralta Community Colleges
Active curriculum development with College of Alameda, Laney, and the Bay Area Advanced Manufacturing Group for maritime technicians and machinists.
BECAP program with Alta Sea
Internship Pipeline
DOER already hosts summer engineering interns; the Hub scales this into a cross-disciplinary program spanning every tenant company.
Mission Blue Passport
A youth program sending young explorers around the Bay to learn ocean science, art, and technology firsthand.
Honu Badges
An existing pathway expanding to align with the Passport and reach students in partner Hope Spot cities worldwide. Examples include Tetiaroa and Moorea in Tahiti and Dumaguete Philippines, an Alameda Sister City Deep-water wharfs nearby can host visiting research vessels and expeditionary yachts for open-house days — giving Alameda students a direct look at ocean science, engineering, and shipboard careers.
ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 14
CONSERVATION HALO
A Third Mooring for Ocean Conservation
DOER already holds an MOU with the Bay Institute and Aquarium of the Bay — positioning the Hub as a “third mooring” alongside Pier 39 and the Bay Model in Sausalito, both served by public transit.
The San Francisco Bay’s recognition as a Mission Blue Hope Spot — achieved in collaboration with Alameda CASA — gives the Hub an international conservation credential from day one.
Deep Hope Global submersible expeditions
Wild Oyster Project Restoring native oysters to the Bay Deep Ocean Explore Store Science-diver pathway for high schoolers International SeaKeepers Establishing a Northern California presence Ocean Elders / Mission Blue /
Oceanic Society Regularly host meetings on-site today
ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 15
ARTS & CULTURE
Where Ocean Science Meets Ocean Art
● Home to a collection of “underwater pioneers” sculptures by Viktor, now displayed publicly in partnership with the Aquarium of the Bay. ● Future home for Dr. Sylvia Earle’s maritime library and her collection of ocean photography and painting — housed at DOER today.
● An open door for professional and high-school Plein Air artists who already use the DOER workshop for inspiration.
● A track record of major collaborations: the Doug Aitken Underwater Pavilions project at Catalina Island, and two 2019 installations for “A Natural Discourse” with Alameda artist Shirley Watts. West End Arts District Underwater Photographer of the Year event in 2026 ● The vision: rotating ocean-art exhibits, lectures, and workshops that pull Alameda’s existing arts community straight into the Hub, reuniting science and art.
A Living Gallery, Not a Static Display
Every rotating exhibit, lecture, and workshop is also a reason for a City Council member, a school group, or a regional funder to walk through Building 41’s doors — turning art into an ongoing pipeline of civic goodwill.
ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 16
TRANSPORTATION
Building the Clean Way to Get There
● Alameda Point is served by a new ferry terminal — but the Bay Area’s traffic problem needs more than one connection point.
● DOER is collaborating with regional partners to design and build a sustainable electric water taxi, running between shoreline destinations across the Bay. ● Every water taxi built at the Hub supports local maritime manufacturing jobs and creates an exportable product — not just a transit amenity. ● Materials and sub-assemblies will be sourced, wherever possible, from other Alameda Point companies — keeping the economic benefit inside the city limits.
ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 17
ROADMAP
A Three-to-Five Year Path to Full Build-Out
Year 1
Stabilize & Prove
● Finalize lease security for DOER
● Onboard TANZLE and 2–4 Harbor Desk
members
● Launch Mission Blue Passport pilot with one
school
Years 2–3
Fill the Incubator
● Lease up the 16 private offices
● Begin Maker Bay container partitioning
● Formalize sponsorship and grant funding
streams
Years 3–5
Full Ecosystem
● Maker Bay at or near full occupancy
● Water taxi program in production
● First graduate company moves to market-
rate space — proof the model works
ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 18
THE PARTNERSHIP
What We’re Asking of the City
What DOER Brings
● A proven, 34-year anchor tenant with an on-time rent history through three lease cycles.
● A ready-made incubator concept that fills Building 41 faster — and more durably — than a single-tenant search.
● An existing web of nonprofit, education, and arts partnerships the City doesn’t have to build from scratch.
● A tenant willing to co-invest in the capital plan (power, ADA, basic build-out) that unlocks the incubator tiers.
What We’re Asking
● Favorable, secured lease terms reflecting the asset’s condition and DOER’s track record (see accompanying lease memorandum). ● The City’s support in evaluating the incubator model against a single- tenant re-lease before committing to either path.
● A modest shared capital plan for power and accessibility improvements, structured as credits rather than rent reductions. ● A documented right of first offer to purchase Building 41 once the Navy completes conveyance — formalizing DOER’s long-term commitment to Alameda.
ALAMEDA OCEAN EXPLORATION & INNOVATION HUB | BUILDING 41 AT ALAMEDA POINT 19 Alameda already has the water, the history, and the tenant.
Building 41 is the chance to add the ecosystem — and let the blue economy call Alameda home.
Thank You
DOER Marine Operations · Building 41, Alameda Point