Plans Envision a Welcoming Waterfront at Pier 21

By Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO

Galveston is unique among Texas ports in two big ways. It's the Lone Star State's only cruise port and it's the only public port with a commercial area open to the public. Nowhere else in Texas can you sit at a waterfront restaurant and watch cruise and cargo ships sail by. How lucky are we!

The port's commercial area at Pier 21 was developed in the early 1980s through the vision of port leaders and George and Cynthia Mitchell to promote tourist development.

Today the restaurants, hotel and historical attractions at Pier 21 remain popular waterfront destinations for locals and visitors alike. Forty years after it was developed, many of us have asked ourselves how we can make the area even better.

The port's 20-Year Strategic Master Plan adopted by the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees in 2019 and a recent study funded by the Mitchell Foundation envision improvements to the area to enhance public access and enjoyment.

Ideas are the first step, but there are many steps to a final plan. Based on direction from the Wharves Board, port staff would collaborate with key stakeholders, including port tenants, city officials and the community.

Enhancing That Early Vision

The port's master plan is our roadmap to maximize cruise, cargo and commercial assets to strengthen and grow the port, a self-sustaining city entity. For the Pier 21 area, the plan identifies opportunities for a waterfront boardwalk, flex parking space and enhancements to Harborside Drive to connect the mid-port area to the Strand Historic District.

The port master plan describes how an internal roadway and walkways will connect the port's two cruise terminals west of Pier 21 with the new cruise terminal at Pier 16 and the Strand area. The plan also envisions creating multi-use spaces for parking and events between Harborside and the waterfront for festivals and other public uses. (Find the master plan at PortofGalveston.com/Strategic-Master-Plan)

The Mitchell Legacy

Now the Mitchell Foundation is carrying on the Mitchell family legacy by funding a detailed plan with colorful renderings that takes the port's master plan vision for the port commercial area to the next level.

The foundation initiated and is championing an ambitious proposal created by Stoss Landscape Urbanism. Stoss representatives presented their renderings of an enhanced Pier 21 area at the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees meeting in March.

Perfect Timing

This could be the perfect time to begin talking about improvements. In the next few years, the port will complete its internal roadway and restoration of the skywalk over Harborside Drive at 25^th Street to enhance public access to the waterfront. We'll also open our fourth cruise terminal at Pier 16 just east of the commercial area.

We look forward to working with the city, the community, private entities like the Mitchell Foundation, and port tenants such as Landry's Corporation and the Galveston Historical Foundation to see where our visions will take us. Word of caution, please remember this is a preliminary plan and there are no details decided at this time.

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