Port trustees told Galveston city council members they will begin a formal update of the Port of Galveston master plan in the first quarter to reassess cruise, cargo and real-estate priorities now that demand has exceeded earlier forecasts.

Trustees and port staff said Cruise Terminal 16 will materially increase passenger volumes and that port revenues from cruise operations have been used to fund west‑end cargo infrastructure. Trustees said the port is already investing heavily on the west end — a multi‑million‑dollar capital program — to diversify into cargo and to add slips and berths. The board said that work has advanced faster than anticipated in the 2019 master plan and that a master plan update is needed to allocate limited land to the highest‑value uses, balance cargo and public‑access uses and examine options for a commercial/recreational esplanade or other mixed uses on redevelopable dock land.

Dredging and maintenance funding: Port staff and trustees emphasized the nonfederal sponsor role the port holds for Army Corps dredging projects. Staff said the port has a long-term obligation to pay its nonfederal share of federal channel deepening and that maintenance dredging needs are rising; they noted that federal maintenance allocations vary and that securing regular dredge funding is critical to sustaining bigger vessels and larger cargo operations. Trustees said a turning-basin project and deeper channel work were on the list of major capital projects that will affect near-term finance planning.

Pelican Island and bridge timing: Port and city officials said Pelican Island development and the related bridge remain multi-year projects. Port staff said environmental permitting and state funding requests are in process; officials estimated multi-year timelines for permitting and construction and said TxDOT and regional entities are coordinating funding requests.

Why it matters: The master-plan update and the dredging agenda affect long‑range land use, jobs and tax-generation potential. Council members and trustees said a fresh, data-driven plan should inform joint decisions on future terminals, cargo expansion and potential public-facing uses of limited waterfront land.

Next steps: Trustees said they will begin a master‑plan update effort in Q1, coordinate with city staff, and present a status update at the April 24 joint meeting. Port staff invited council members to on-site visits to view west‑end capital work.