Port of San Diego’s New Cruise Ship Terminal Breaks Ground on August 4

Thursday, 30 July 2009
Contact: Marguerite Elicone (619) 686-6222

The Board of Port Commissioners and representatives from the major cruise lines serving the Port will be wielding sledgehammers on Tuesday, August 4, to break ground for a new cruise ship terminal on Broadway Pier.

The festivities begin at 10 a.m. and will include remarks from Board Chair Stephen P. Cushman, Luis Ajamil, the architect who designed the new terminal, and Carlos Torres de Navarra, Director of Strategic Planning and Port Development for Carnival Corporation & plc.

Carnival Corporation & plc is the parent company of Holland America Line, which has operated seasonal cruises from San Diego since 1998.  It is also the parent company of Carnival Cruise Lines, which operates the Port’s only year-round ship, the 2,052-passenger Carnival Elation.

Carnival Corporation loaned the Port $12 million to help pay for construction of the 52,000 square-foot, two-story terminal.  The terminal can accommodate 2,600 passengers and will include space for U.S. Customs & Border Protection.  The facility will be the Port’s first “green” building and is being designed to meet silver-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, meaning it will be designed to use less water, less energy and produce fewer pollutants.

Some of the construction elements that will help the project qualify for its LEED certification include use of a photovoltaic system that will provide at least 12 percent of the building’s energy.  The project also may incorporate highly reflective roof paint and low-flow toilets, urinals and faucets that will help keep water and energy costs down.  Low-emitting materials such as low voc paints (paints that contain minimal amounts of volatile organic compounds that could be hazardous to a person’s health), as well as low voc carpets and sealants may also be incorporated.

The new terminal will also include space for private and public events on days when there aren’t any cruise ships in port.  A public space will be open in the back of the building, with an open pavilion area that will provide views of the bay.  Another event area will be located on the second floor.

Jaynes Corporation, a construction company with offices throughout the southwest, is the contractor for the project.  Construction is estimated to cost $21.1 million and is scheduled for completion in December 2010.

Last year, there were 297 cruise ship calls to the Port of San Diego, bringing nearly a million passengers.  Each cruise ship that stops here has an economic impact of about $2 million.  That number is calculated from passenger spending and the businesses that serve the cruise lines.  These include florists, food suppliers, linen companies, cleaning companies and bus and transportation services.  Passengers also visit local attractions such as Sea World and the Zoo.

The Port’s cruise business continues to grow and has outgrown its main terminal at the B Street Pier.  That terminal can service two ships at a time.  On days when three or four ships are in Port, Broadway Pier is used as a temporary terminal and passengers have been processed in a tent structure.  Passengers will now be welcomed in a modern cruise ship terminal, which will allow the Port to keep pace with its growing cruise business.

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