Moving cruise terminal northward will benefit community

Early in our Union Pier planning process, it became clear that relocating the passenger terminal northward had numerous advantages. It would reduce traffic, eliminate all existing cargo operations at Union Pier, and unlock the southern portion of the property for public and other uses.

We plan to proceed with that option, issue a request for architects this fall, and hopefully have the new terminal complete in 2012.

From the very beginning, our planning process has been open and collaborative. We have benefited from many helpful suggestions from the community. And we have been gratified by the community's support for cruise ships in Charleston.

Since the early 1970s, Charleston has welcomed almost 1,000 cruise ships. They provide jobs and more than $37 million in annual economic impact. They are good for Charleston, and for the Port.

As we plan for our new passenger terminal, we have made very clear our commitment to continue managing the cruise business in a scale appropriate to Charleston, by planning for a one-berth, one-ship terminal capable of handling ships designed to carry up to 3,500 passengers.

Some people have suggested statutory limits on the number of cruise ships that can call here. Needless to say, no responsible business -- including the Port -- would ever agree to a statutory limit on the amount of business it can generate. However, we have stated that we see the Charleston cruise market as accommodating about two ships per week, and that we will consult the community well in advance if we see that situation changing.

More than 2,000 ships annually enter Charleston Harbor. All are subject to comprehensive federal and international environmental regulations. And the environmental regulations applying to cruise ships are the strictest of all. There is no evidence that the current regulations are insufficient, nor is there any evidence of environmental malfeasance by a cruise ship in our harbor. Cruise ship passengers represent about five percent of the visitors to Charleston. Our surveys show that about a third of them spend at least one night here, half visit attractions and eat in restaurants, and almost all say they plan to return.

By relocating the passenger terminal to the Union Pier property's northern end, we will also relocate all of the cargo operations that currently exist there. That means about 200 cargo ships, trains and related trucks and cars will all be moved away from Union Pier. Those are substantial benefits. The best benefit of relocating the terminal will be unlocking the southern portion of the Union Pier property for public and other uses.

Some of those potential uses -- reflected in the Port's Concept Plan for Union Pier -- include an appropriate waterside end for Market Street, the re-establishment of the historic Custom House wharf, new view corridors, and significant new public access and open spaces. We have already committed to stabilize the historic Bennett Rice Mill faèade, within the Union Pier property.

How and when our Concept Plan's possibilities become reality will be determined over time by the community and the marketplace. But none of them will occur if we do not begin first by relocating our passenger terminal to the northern end of the property.

If, for any reason, we are unable to move expeditiously on that relocation, we will need to revert to the much less desirable option of upgrading our present passenger terminal.

That, of course, would mean the continuation of our cargo operations on Union Pier. Cargo ships, trains and trucks would remain there. And the entire Union Pier property would continue forever to be separated from the rest of the peninsula -- as it is now -- by a chain link fence.

We believe that would be a tragedy. And our sense is that the community agrees. We need now to move forward, designing a new passenger terminal and beginning the process to redevelop Union Pier. We cannot do one without the other.

The non-maritime redevelopment of Union Pier is arguably the most important redevelopment opportunity in the Charleston area, and potentially on the entire East Coast. We would be foolish to miss this opportunity, along with the chance to develop an appropriately scaled cruise business that provides significant economic benefit to so many Charlestonians.

Our process will continue to be open and collaborative. We have created a Cruise Neighbors Advisory Council, including residents from neighborhoods closest to our terminal. Updates will continue to be posted on www.UnionPierPlan.com.

We are grateful to the community for its ongoing input and are pleased to be proceeding in a direction that has already received such widespread support.

Jim Newsome is president/CEO of the State Ports Authority.