Milwaukee Plans $7M Cruise Ship Dock

Milwaukee is looking to become the top cruise ship destination on the Great Lakes with plans for a new $7 million cruise ship dock at its South Shore location, reports CBS 58. As the cruise industry returns after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic, Milwaukee is looking to welcome more visitors than ever before, with an expected 10,000 ship passengers coming ashore this season.

The city’s goal is to become the start and end point for cruise ships, with a new dock that will accommodate the largest ships cruising the Great Lakes during the cruise season, May through October. 

The project will be funded by a $3.5 million grant from Governor Tony Evers to the city-owned port, as well as a 2021 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the sale of land by the city for Komatsu Mining South Harbor Campus development. The new dock is expected to be operational in 2023 or 2024, reports CBS 58.