Galveston’s port is set for a transformation as officials update their master plan. Proposed projects include a new cruise terminal, waterfront amenities, and infrastructure improvements to support growing tourism and trade.
.jpg)
Galveston's waterfront could see significant alterations as the port plans significant increases to cruise and freight operations. Galveston Wharves is reviewing its 20-year strategic master plan to assess future objectives and possibilities while many important projects reach completion.
Long-term development planning is vital, stressed Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees. Rees said in January, "We want to be ready and know what the next five to ten years hold." Galveston, the only big cruise port serving the central United States, is setting itself for more growth.
Consistent with suggestions from the Stoss Report, the revised master plan will investigate the viability of a fifth cruise terminal between Terminals 10 and 16, the possible relocation of the USS Texas to Galveston, and shoreline improvements near Pier 21.
The plan will also review incomplete projects from the 2019 master plan, including improvements in docks and wharf facilities, development on Pelican Island covering 350+ acres, improvements in drainage infrastructure
and an idea for a public boardwalk.
Rees underlined that shaping these changes will depend much on public opinion. Although a schedule is not yet established, officials will keep talking in the following months as they polish the long-term vision of the port.
