City Breaks Ground on New Cruise Ship Dock

From left: Brian Kasprzyk, Marina Dimitrijevic, Jackie Q. Carter, Cavalier Johnson, Kathy Blumenfeld, Peggy Williams-Smith and Tim Hoelter

As ports across the Great Lakes vie for cruise traffic, Milwaukee broke ground Thursday on a new dock meant to keep the city ahead of the competition.

“We see Duluth making investments, we see other Great Lakes ports making investments, and we want to make sure that we retain that premier cruise dock status,” said Port Milwaukee Director Jackie Q. Carter during a groundbreaking ceremony for the South Shore Cruise Dock. “That means investing in the infrastructure that’s going to give not only the great service that our team and our partners provide, but also that premier experience.”

City and state officials, including Mayor Cavalier Johnson, area Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic and Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld, joined Carter for the lakeside event at 2320 S. Lincoln Memorial Dr., the sounds of nearby construction—already in progress—punctuating their speeches.

“This new dock will welcome Seawaymax vessels and thousands and thousands of visitors from literally all over the United States—and not just the United States, but literally all over the globe,” Johnson said. “That activity means jobs and opportunities for residents who call Milwaukee home. It means stronger businesses for our entrepreneurs, it means more revenue that supports the services that we provide here at the city.”

The dock is expected to take its first calls in 2026.

Once open, it will be Milwaukee’s third designated cruise dock and will serve as the future port of call for Seawaymax vessels, including two ships that Viking Cruises uses on the Great Lakes.

The project includes a 363-foot-long platform and permanent utilities.

It’s also presented as an upgrade from Viking’s current dock, which deposits passengers next to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District‘s Jones Island treatment plant. “That’s not the welcome you want to give to visitors,” Carter said.

The project has more than doubled in cost since its initial proposal, jumping from $7.3 million to $17 million. The state has contributed $4 million through two separate grants—a $3.5 million Tourism Capital Grant and a $500,000 Harbor Assistance Program Grant.

“Being able to expand capacity for today’s larger cruise ships and help grow those numbers for years to come is a big reason why we’ve supported this project from the start, and I’m thrilled to be part of it,” Blumenfeld said, noting that the project is anticipated to create “over 200 local jobs and more than $250,000 in [annual] port revenue.

The port will also use $7.6 million from the the Komatsu South Harbor Campus land sale, with an additional $5 million in city funding included in Mayor Johnson’s 2025 budget, Urban Milwaukee previously reported.

“By strengthening Milwaukee as a premier destination, we expand Wisconsin’s reputation and ensure that the economic impact of tourism is felt not just here in the city, but in the region,” Johnson said.

Dimitrijevic acknowledged the project’s high cost, which drew pushback from some fellow council members, but urged critics to weigh the potential long-term benefits.

“The return on the investment, as you heard, will be jobs,” she said, “With that, it will stimulate the local economy and continue to put our neighborhood and the city on the map where we deserve to be.”

Peggy Williams-Smith, CEO of Visit Milwaukee, echoed city officials in touting the project as a driver for tourism.

“With this dock, we are opening our city’s doors even wider to travelers from around the country and around the world,” she said. “These visitors not only bring their excitement and curiosity, but they bring their dollars to our local businesses, our attractions and our hospitality community.”

Also in attendance were Brian Kasprzyk, Port Milwaukee’s chief engineer; Harbor Commission chair Timothy Hoelter and other members of the Harbor Commission; representatives from the Bay View Yacht Club and a staff member from Congresswoman Gwen Moore‘s office.

While overall port traffic is down 24% compared to 2024, Port Milwaukee reports it is on track to land its estimated 11,000 visitors in 2025. That figure is expected to surge in 2026 when the new dock opens.

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