by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 3:20 PM ET, Wed August 7, 2024
Port Canaveral’s planned expansion is facing scrutiny from top state officials.
Port leaders may need to rethink their proposed new cruise terminal if they hope to continue receiving state money. That’s according to a letter from Florida commerce secretary J. Alex Kelly and transportation secretary Jared Perdue, reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
In the note, sent Friday, the two state leaders warned that Port Canaveral risks losing infrastructure funding if its leaders fail to balance the needs of both the cruise and space industries.
Their letter comes in response to new expansion plans announced in May. Port leaders said they plan to build a new cruise terminal and parking garages at an area called North Cargo Berth 8. They expected to open the new terminal in the summer of 2026 to accommodate new cruise ships.
But state leaders said this new proposal would hamper plans to expand liquified natural-gas facilities that serve the space industry.
“Florida’s cruise tourism and commercial space launch sectors are both vitally important,” Kelly and Perdue wrote, as reported by South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Port Canaveral bears the responsibility of housing and supporting both. We will help you do both. But in this case, the port has announced its intention to support one sector to the direct detriment of the other. That decision must, therefore, be reversed.”
If port leaders do not change their plans, the state might take action, such as giving money to other seaports and spaceports or even halting funding for Port Canaveral projects, according to the letter.
Steven Linden, a spokesman for the port, said Port Canaveral leaders would work with state officials to address their concerns.
“The port has been an integral part of the commercial space industry’s growth and operations in our state, and our commitment to the enterprise remains strong,” Linden said in a statement. “We look forward to working in partnership with Secretary Perdue and Secretary Kelly towards a positive resolution.”
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