• 2 min de lectura
• 2 min de lectura
Galveston Wharves trustees will weigh a proposal to pause discussions with any cruise line about the construction of a fifth cruise terminal until a port mobility study is complete, according to the board's Sept. 22 meeting agenda.
Port officials have been in exclusive talks with Royal Caribbean Group about a new Cruise Terminal 14 located next to Royal's Cruise Terminal 10.
The port would be responsible for filling a slip, building a new pier and berth and a parking structure, while Royal Caribbean would lease the ground from the port and construct the terminal.
At August's Galveston Wharves board meeting, trustees voted to defer a memorandum of understanding amendment with Royal Caribbean related to the terminal that would be non-binding except for certain parts, notably that it required Galveston Wharves to prioritize the allocation and use of capital funds for this project ahead of any other new cruise terminal development.
Following the vote to delay on that amendment, a trustee stated Galveston was eager to continue talking with Royal Caribbean however the board needed to hash out "minor but important details."
For the upcoming meeting, the Royal Caribbean negotiation framework is on the agenda for executive session, along with discussing "roles and responsibilities of port director/CEO, port staff and trustees concerning communications and negotiations with cruise lines."
In addition, three trustees put forward a proposal to pause talks about the fifth cruise terminal with any line until a comprehensive mobility study is complete and reported to the board and community.
Their proposal also calls for port staff to include a plan, timeline and cost estimate and funding sources for the modifications or additions identified in the study before resuming any discussions about a fifth terminal.
The Port of Galveston has been conducting a mobility study to understand the impacts of growth on port property, adjacent neighborhoods and downtown Galveston and to propose mitigation solutions for increased traffic.
The public is invited to an Oct. 1 meeting on mobility projects and proposals.