The Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners voted to advance a redevelopment project proposed by the Maritime Museum Association of San Diego to the environmental review phase, according to a press release.

The Maritime Museum, with historic ships including the Star of India, San Salvador, HMS Surprise, and others, is already an iconic cultural attraction on our San Diego Bay waterfront,” said Chairman Rafael Castellanos, Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners.

“If approved and constructed in the future, this project seeks to greatly enhance the area and bring even more people to our North Embarcadero where there are already so many fun and interesting things to see, do, and experience.” 

“Five generations of our community have contributed to making this one of the great Maritime Museums of the world, the place where we tell our story of the sea,” said President and CEO Ray Ashley, Maritime Museum of San Diego. “This stunning improvement to our waterfront is not only something worthy of that story, it projects a vision that our community can take pride in.”

The Maritime Museum’s plan is to redevelop its premises on the North Embarcadero to include galleries, an educational theater, a museum store, terraces, a café for ticketholders and the public and administrative offices.

The Maritime Museum presented the project to the Board of Port Commissioners on Tuesday, April 11. In addition to the changes above, the plan is also to reconfigure the dock area and mooring locations. The estimated cost of the proposed project is $28 million with funding from multiple sources including state grants, private financing, and private fundraising.