The Port of Seattle says it is nearing completion of a $104 million redevelopment of Berths 6 and 8 at Terminal 91, removing decades-old, condemned pier infrastructure along Smith Cove to make way for a high-capacity dock designed to serve the North Pacific fishing fleet. The work is set to add more than 800 feet of additional moorage, shore power hookups, and a new stormwater treatment system to a waterfront facility that has served as a home port for vessels working Alaska's fisheries.
According to the Port of Seattle, the project redeveloped Berths 6 and 8 along the northeast side of Pier 90, demolishing more than 62,000 square feet of condemned or load-restricted timber apron and 830 linear feet of seawall. Crews also removed over 2,200 creosote timber pilings, according to the same source, clearing the way for a new high-capacity pier rated at 650 pounds per square foot, complete with updated utilities, bollards, and a steel fender system. As reported by National Fisherman, the redevelopment also includes replacement pilings, a new float system, bulkhead improvements, and consolidated office space for Port operations and fishing industry customers.
Shore power — which allows vessels to connect to landside electricity while docked instead of running generators — is planned for the new berths for both fishing and industrial vessels, per the Port of Seattle. The agency says the upgrades increase functionality at the pier without expanding its overwater coverage. The project requires environmental review and permits, including SEPA review and approvals from Seattle and Washington state agencies.
How Much Moorage, and How Much Money, Depends on Who's Counting
The Port of Seattle states the project is expected to add over 800 feet of additional moorage for the North Pacific fishing fleet. Site Selection Magazine, however, had earlier reported the project was expected to provide approximately 750 feet of moorage, a figure that predates the completed redevelopment described by the Port. The two sources also diverge on project cost: the Port lists total authorization at $104 million, while Site Selection describes it as a $98 million redevelopment of Berths 6 and 8 along Pier 90. An earlier Port of Seattle meeting memo from August 2023 requested $71.825 million in construction funding and listed a total estimated project cost of $76 million at that stage of planning.
Construction began in the third quarter of 2024, and the berths were scheduled to open for use in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Demand Pressures Behind the Rebuild
Port staff pointed to rising demand as a driver behind the project. In the same 2023 memo, officials noted that cruise activity at Terminal 91 was growing in both number and size of vessels, further increasing the demand on Terminal 91 berth space alongside the needs of the fishing fleet. The redevelopment is meant to bring Berths 6 and 8 back into service for large fishing vessels and other customers, increasing berthing flexibility for vessels of varying sizes.
The Port's broader energy planning adds another layer of context to the shore-power additions at the new berths. The agency's April 2025 Seattle Waterfront Clean Energy Strategy projects that peak power demand associated with Port operations will increase fourfold by 2050, a forecast cited by Site Selection Magazine that underscores why electrification features like shore power are becoming standard in waterfront redevelopment work rather than an afterthought.
Terminal 91 itself has a long industrial history on Smith Cove, on the north side of Elliott Bay. The property traces back to shipping facilities established by the Great Northern Railway in the late 1800s, was acquired by the Port of Seattle in the early 1900s, and later came under U.S. Navy control in 1941, serving as a naval supply center supporting military operations throughout the Pacific and Alaska for more than three decades before the Navy announced plans to close the facility in 1970. The Port completed its purchase of Terminal 91 on June 30, 1976, regaining control of 198 acres and two half-mile-long piers for roughly $15.4 million, following six years of negotiations after the Navy's closure announcement.
