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We’re going to need a bigger boat, officials from the city Economic Development Corporation declared Thursday.
The agency laid out new plans to overhaul the aging Manhattan Cruise Terminal with new facilities and modern piers capable of handling some of the world’s biggest passenger ships.
The plan would erect new buildings and replace century-old timbers at the cruise hub, which runs along the Hudson River between roughly West 47th to West 54th Streets.
The upgrades would mean the terminals could handle three ships at once, each carrying as many as 8,000 passengers. Currently, the piers can handle two ships at a time that are big enough to carry 4,000 people. EDC officials billed it as a boon to the city’s tourism industry.
The plan also calls for new electrical infrastructure to cut down on pollution caused by ships idling in the river, as well as new pedestrian walkways to help manage the battalions of tourists marching from the waterfront into Midtown.
EDC officials did not provide any timeline for the reconstruction, saying it still hinges on approval from several levels of government, including the feds, which have jurisdiction over the waterway. The agency also did not provide a cost estimate for the work, but noted taxpayers would be forced to cover a portion of the bill.
“By modernizing and electrifying the terminal, this plan will meet urgent industry demands, grow economic impact and tax revenue for the city, and deliver on the community’s longstanding goals for a safer, more sustainable terminal with public access to the waterfront,” EDC President Andrew Kimball wrote in a statement.
The local community board has long asked for the EDC to bring shore power to the cruise terminal to reduce pollution as well as dedicating a fee of $1 per passenger to fund community initiatives to deal with the increased traffic and congestion in the area.
Sections of the Hudson River Greenway can become overwhelmed with foot and vehicle traffic when large cruise ships call at the port.
