Port of Key West
The pier at the port
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Location
CountryUnited States
LocationKey West, Florida
Coordinates24°33′55″N 81°46′33″W / 24.56528°N 81.77583°W / 24.56528; -81.77583
UN/LOCODEUSEYW[1]
Details
Owned byCity of Key West
No. of berths4[2]
Draft depth34 ft.[2]
Statistics
Website
*Official website

The Port of Key West is a port in Key West, Florida.[3] It includes Key West Bight, Garrison Bight at City Marina, as well as three docks that could be utilized by cruise ships.[4]

History

The first cruise ship to adopt the port was the Sunward in 1969. It docked at Pier B, which was owned at that time by the U.S. Navy.

In 1984, the city opened a cruise terminal at Mallory Square. The decision was met with opponents who claimed that it would disrupt the tradition of watching the sunset at Mallory Square.[4]

In 2013, a referendum to widen the ship channel was defeated by 73% of voters.[5] The proposal, backed by the Key West Chamber of Commerce, was intended to accommodate larger cruise ships and would have required dredging 17 acres of sea bottom, which includes endangered corals, in the protected Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.[6]

In 2020, Key West voters approved three amendments to the City Charter which prohibit large cruise ships, limit daily disembarkations, and prioritize cruise ships with superior public health and environmental records. The amendments, sponsored by the Key West Committee for Safer, Cleaner Ships, passed with 61% to 81% approval.[7] However, the following year, the state legislature overturned the amendments.[8] In 2022, the city decided to instead prohibit ships from docking at the two piers the city controls.[9] Meanwhile, Pier B is planned to undergo an expansion renovation to service bigger ships, which would first have to be approved by the state.[10]

Services

Cruise ships can be serviced by three separate terminals. Mallory Pier is owned and operated by the City of Key West; the Outer Mole Pier is federally owned and operated by the city through a lease agreement with the U.S. Navy; and Pier B is operated by Pier B Development Corporation through a lease agreement with the State of Florida. The city's restrictions on cruise ships apply equally to all three ports.[11] As of 2023, only Pier B is currently being used for cruise ships.[12]

A domestic ferry port operates near the Bight of Key West. The port is among the busiest passenger ports in the United States and one of Florida's most important and oldest ferry ports. The port conducts passenger ferry and cruise service to and from Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, Fort Myers, Port Everglades, Cape Canaveral, and Marco Island, Florida. This allows passengers to travel to Key West without using the busy U.S. 1 Overseas Highway Corridor.[13]

Impacts

Environmental

A United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigation issued a Finding of No Significant Impact.[14] A proposed plan to dredge the channel was criticized because it would require dredging in the canal and in the surrounding area with possible silting and related damage to sea life, which could affect Key West's seafood industry.[15]

Economy

The cruise ship industry delivers people to the city, where they contribute to the economy by spending at local businesses. This adds about $85 million to business revenues. The port contributes 1,260 jobs. These figures are a significant fraction of the city's economy.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "UNLOCODE (US) - UNITED STATES". service.unece.org. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Port of Key West, U.S.A." www.findaport.com. Shipping Guides Ltd. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  3. ↑ Gwen Filosa. "Key West Cruise Port". Cruise Critic.
  4. 1 2 Nicholas, Stephen (1989). A Chronological History of Key West: A Tropical Island City. Key West Images of the Past, Inc. ASIN B00071OYLI.
  5. ↑ "Key West City Cruise Ship Port Widening Question (November 2013)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  6. ↑ Clark, Cammy (September 27, 2013). "Key West draws a line in the water over a wider cruise-ship harbor". The Miami Herald. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  7. ↑ Hines, Jayme Deerwester and Morgan. "Key West votes to ban large cruise ships from docking, limit cruise visitors to 1,500 per day". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  8. ↑ "Key West set to try — again — to limit cruise ship visits to the island". WLRN. 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  9. ↑ "Key West remains divided over cruise ships. Did the city break its own rule on how many can come?". WLRN. 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  10. ↑ Robles, Frances (2023-11-25). "DeSantis Faces Critical Decision on Cruise Ships in Key West". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  11. ↑ Filosa, Gwen (November 5, 2020). "Key West voters put limits on cruise ships — but a lawsuit is pending". The Miami Herald. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  12. ↑ https://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/calendar.php?crd=caribenautical
  13. 1 2 "Port of Key West". Florida Ports Council. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  14. ↑ Murray, Thomas J. (April 8, 2005). "The Impacts Of The Cruise Ship Industry On The Quality Of Life In Key West" (PDF). Key West Naval Properties Local Redevelopment Authority. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  15. ↑ Isadmin (August 21, 2013). "Dredging the Key West Channel for Larger Cruise Ships: Referendum on the Horizon". Last Stand. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
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