Pier 80 in San Francisco to begin shipping cars, create jobs

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A ship carrying automobiles docked at Pier 80 in San Francisco on Monday - an unusual sight for a city whose waterfront normally serves cruises and restaurants.

The Pasha Group, a San Rafael logistics company, signed a 15-year lease to operate a state-of-the-art shipping facility on Pier 80.

Pier 80 was being used as an emergency shelter for the homeless. But once the transformation is complete at an estimated cost of up to $10 million, the port will operate over 90 ships and expect to handle 150,000 cars a year going to and from Europe, Mexico and Asia.

The company says by 2020, one in four cars driven in North American will come from Mexico, and San Francisco is a logical hub from which to serve that burgeoning import market.

The deal also means new jobs for the area. As part of the agreement, San Francisco's Citybuild program, Pasha has agreed to hire half of its expected 150 processing workers from nearby neighborhoods like Bayview Hunters Point.