San Francisco's new cruise terminal has novel, flexible and green features

The terminal sits at the foot of Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower in a prime waterfront location.

'We are on track for the first cruise ship call (Crown Princess) at the new terminal on Sept. 18,' said Michael Nerney, maritime marketing manager for the port. A week later, Grand Princess will be on hand for the grand opening ceremony of the James R. Herman Cruise Terminal, named for former port commissioner and president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.

The FMT bridge arrived Saturday aboard cargo ship BBC Hawaii.

Miami-based Bermello Ajamil & Partners served as cruise terminal design consultant for the newest LEED Silver-certified West Coast cruise terminal as part of a local San Francisco team including Kaplan McLaughlin Diaz and Pfau Long Architecture. The contractor is Turner Construction.

When phase 1 of the project was completed and dedicated in 2013 for use as the headquarters of the 34th America’s Cup Races, San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee hailed the facility as a major infrastructure project delivered on time and on budget. He said it would provide a significant economic impact to the city when cruise operations begin.

The terminal is a 91,000-square-foot, two-story single berth facility with a 13,000-square-foot exterior overflow baggage claim yard. B&A said the facility has been optimally sized to process up to 2,600 passengers each way with infrastructure ready to serve up to 4,000 passengers each way as needed.

Included are a fully accessible public park with a mobile security perimeter system to allow for unimpeded waterfront access by the public on non-cruise days in accordance with the city's waterfront preservation/accessibility requirements.

Other key design features include mobile check-in booths and security screening equipment, expansive glazing with waterfront views in all areas of the terminal, mobile separation walls allowing multipurpose use of the Customs and Border Protection primary processing hall and multiple entrance lobbies for simultaneous event use.

Pier 27 also features a shore power hookup.

Images of the facility are here.