Dock project to add wharf $4M addition would help during low water
June 30, 08 by TheFleetIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
by Bill Shea | Source: Crain’s Detroit Business
Detroit’s $15 million effort to build a new public passenger ship terminal and dock will also see an additional $4 million to $5 million spent to construct an offshore wharf in the Detroit River.
Such a wharf would offer access to deeper water in times of low water levels, said John Kerr, economic development director for the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority, the agency building the new facility and dock.
State and federal approvals are in hand, along with the money, to build a 21,000-square-foot terminal and dock on 1.3 acres southwest of the Renaissance Center and near Hart Plaza off Atwater Street. The site currently is fenced and is home to overflow parking for Detroit police cars.
… The authority’s project is aimed at turning the city into a port of call for cruise ships, naval vessels, tall ships, day tours and other craft that ply the Great Lakes. A ferry service to Windsor and water taxi are also possibilities.
“There’s demand for more waterfront traffic, recreational or tourism,” Kerr said, adding that a group of tour operators from the U.S. and Europe visited the city last week and was interested in the terminal and dock project.
The two-story terminal will house a processing area for tourists, ticket counters, the authority’s headquarters and a public plaza. Space will be set aside for future use by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Read about the detailed, involved plans at Crain’s Detroit Business >>
