Port of San Diego Breaks Ground on New Cruise Ship Terminal

Tuesday, 04 August 2009

Sledgehammers were wielded on the Broadway Pier by the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners, cruise line and other officials from throughout the region on August 4 to break ground for construction of a new cruise terminal. With a couple of whacks, the group broke the ceremonial concrete slabs.

"This marks the beginning of a project that will benefit the entire region," said Stephen P. Cushman, Chairman of the Board of Port Commissioners. "The new terminal will allow us to welcome passengers in a grander fashion, while also growing our cruise business."

The Port and Carnival Corporation & plc, parent company of many of the cruise lines serving San Diego, are investing about $22.4 million for this project.

The modern terminal is the Port’s first “green” building and is designed to meet silver-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. This means it will use less water, less energy and produce fewer pollutants.

On days when cruise ships aren’t docked at the pier, the facility can be used for community gatherings, special events and public viewing of San Diego Bay.

Jaynes Corporation, a construction company with offices throughout the southwest, is building the new terminal. It is estimated this project will provide 75 good-paying construction jobs. Completion is anticipated in late 2010.

The new terminal can accommodate 2,600 passengers and will include space for U.S. Customs & Border Protection. Once this terminal is completed, the Port plans to upgrade the neighboring B Street Pier Cruise Ship Terminal. That terminal can service two cruise ships at a time. Up until now, on days when three or four ships were in port, the Broadway Pier was used as a temporary terminal.

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 a regional economic impact of about $2 million.

That number is calculated from passenger spending at local attractions and purchases of goods and services by the cruise lines. Businesses benefiting from the cruise ship calls include food suppliers, florists, linen companies, and bus and other transportation services.

The 52,000-sqare-foot facility was designed by Bermello Ajamil and Partners, Inc. It features a “sawtooth” roofline and glass roll-up doors. The facade of the building will be all glass, giving the structure an "airy, open feel."

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