American Cruise Lines proposes Rivertown dock in Kenner; residents voice concerns about notice, traffic and waste

A representative of American Cruise Lines outlined a proposal to build a new 325-foot walkway and docking facility at LaSalle Landing in historic Rivertown, and described expected tourism benefits and operational details on Aug. 22 before the Kenner City Council.

Frank Klipsch, director of city partnerships and special projects for American Cruise Lines, said the company — which operates about 21 river vessels and is building nine more — seeks to add Kenner to its itineraries and build a steel-supported walkway with a floating barge-style docking structure. He told the council the company expects to bring visiting passengers to Rivertown during scheduled stops; ships typically call for about six to eight hours, Klipsch said, and the firm coordinates excursions and local activity with communities.

“By introducing a new cruise destination here in Kenner, we anticipate increased visitor foot traffic, local spending, increased tourism activity in Rivertown when the ship is docked,” the mayor said when introducing the speaker.

Klipsch described American Cruise Lines as a U.S.-flagged, family-owned company with vessels sized for river ports; he said the company recorded about 107 dockings on the Lower Mississippi in 2025 and is planning more stops in 2026–2028, with a regional plan that could reach roughly 140–145 planned dockings by 2028. He said the company’s vessels carry about 100–175 passengers and that typical calls involve shuttle buses and coordinated excursions.

Residents and some council members raised concerns about notification and local impacts. Vanessa Matthews, a Rivertown resident, said neighborhood groups had not been informed about the cruise proposal and urged the council to consider noise, traffic and environmental impacts, including wastewater and incineration from ships. “We have not had the opportunity to weigh in at all,” Matthews said during public comment.

Several council members and the mayor responded that the administration had been engaging with stakeholders and that the project could bring spending to Rivertown businesses and support nearby grants and improvements. The mayor said the city has “almost a million dollars in a grant” for Rivertown improvements that could work in tandem with the docking facility.

The police chief told the council the department is planning for a dedicated officer to manage traffic movement during dockings and said his research with other communities reported noise from similar river cruise operations has not been a persistent problem.

The mayor said the council will vote on an agreement related to the dock next week and asked American Cruise Lines to have a representative attend the vote. No formal agreement was approved at the Aug. 22 meeting.

Ending: The council received the presentation and heard public comment; the item will return for a formal vote at a future meeting. Residents seeking more information were told to coordinate with their council representatives and the administration.