The Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners voted Wednesday to advance a redevelopment project proposed by the Maritime Museum Association of San Diego to the environmental review phase.
The Maritime Museum is seeking to redevelop its entire premises on the North Embarcadero with new facilities housed in a two-story, approximately 14,000-square-foot structure with plans to include galleries, an educational theater, a café for ticketholders and the public, a museum store, public access terraces, a dock and dine for recreational boaters, administrative offices and back-of-house functions.
“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 Ray Ashley, president and CEO of 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.”
If approved at a future Board meeting, the expanded museum would be built on a pile-supported pier at the venue’s current location.
The proposed project is estimated at $28 million with funding from various sources included state grants, private financing and private fundraising. The museum has teamed up with Tucker Sadler Architects to design the project.
Port staff will work with the Maritime Museum to continue due diligence, refine the funding plan, and negotiate necessary documents during the environmental review process.
The Maritime Museum is a California nonprofit organization that has operated on the Embarcadero for 75 years. The museum is home to historic vessels including the Star of India, the Berkeley, the Californian and others on the San Diego Bay waterfront.