City Approves Master Permit for Port's New Cruise Ship Terminal

SEATTLE-The City of Seattle has issued the Port of Seattle the Master Use Permit it needs to build a $16.5-million, 90,000-sf passenger terminal at Terminal 30 en route to relocating its formal port for cruise ships from Pier 66.

City Planner Colin Vasquez tells GlobeSt.com that the buildings permit application was submitted recently and, given the potential benefit to the city as well, is on a fast track approval process that could result in a building permit sometime in December or January.

According to the MUP decision document, the Port of Seattle began operations at Pier 66 as a homeport for seven-day Alaska cruises in May 2000. That same season, tests of a three-day and four-day Pacific Northwest cruises to Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia were completed. “Given the increased interest by the cruise industry in bringing cruise ships to Seattle, the Port was approached by several cruise lines to provide a new homeport operation elsewhere in the harbor in addition to Pier 66,” states the report. “The Port then decided to pursue a new homeport operation at Terminal 30.”