As the cruise industry continues growing the Port of Los Angeles is seeking proposals to build and operate a new Outer Harbor Cruise Terminal, and redevelop and operate the existing World Cruise Center near the Vincent Thomas Bridge.
For the past decade, the area has been viewed as a strategic spot for a second cruise center in San Pedro, offering more space for the larger, more extravagant ships now coming online amid an uptick in the pleasure cruise industry.
“We have seen increased demand for cruises out of the LA Waterfront over the last several years, with a record 1.3 million cruise passengers in 2023,” Port Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a written comment announcing the search for developers. “With more growth forecast, these projects will allow us to greatly expand our cruise business capacity while providing the best possible experience and convenience for cruise travelers.”
Proposals are due by 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Over the last two years, port officials said, more than 200 cruise ships have called in L.A.
And more cruise passengers — and much larger ships, carrying 4,000 passengers or more — are expected over the coming five years, port officials said.
Each cruise that calls at the port, officials said, generates more than $1 million in local economic activity.
The port’s Outer Harbor provides an expansive space for a cornerstone development with a flexible design that could also provide a variety of additional non-cruise, revenue-producing uses in the off-season, such as filming, conferences and events.
The site, near Warehouse One, consists of 13 acres of backland, two existing wharves and 20 acres of associated potential off-site parking with an estimated 2,300 spaces.
The existing World Cruise Center, at 100 Swinford St., meanwhile, consists of 22 acres, including parking, two cruise berths (Berths 90-93), two terminal buildings and a baggage handling structure. Costing $15 million overall, the main, $4.3 million building was dedicated in 1963.
The 1980s brought a cruise ship boom, thanks partly to television’s “Love Boat,” but as ships grew bigger and space along the waterfront dwindled, port officials decided it was time to add another terminal.
“Over the past 20 years, our port has invested over $1 billion in enhancing, operating and programming LA Waterfront infrastructure,” said Mike Galvin, the port’s director of Waterfront and Commercial Real Estate Development. “These two proposed cruise terminal projects represent the next stage of that investment, and the continued transformation of the waterfront into a dynamic and multiuse visitor destination.”
Some residents, though, have raised concerns about blocked ocean views, traffic and parking.
Those interested in applying can tour the two cruise terminal locations at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 23, by registering at this link.
The full Request for Proposals, or RFP, can be found at this link through the Port of Los Angeles.
Plans to pursue building an Outer Harbor terminal are not new, but were delayed by the pandemic, which essentially shut down the cruise industry. An earlier RFP process was getting underway in 2019 but was halted when the pandemic hit in 2020.
Currently, the area already is used for overflow cruise ship docking space. It offers panoramic views of the coastline and Catalina Island and has been eyed as a second cruise terminal spot for a decade.
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