Cruise terminal operator SSA Marine wants to build a terminal near Tampa for cruise ships too large to reach the existing port.
The terminal would be near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on 328 undeveloped acres of land. It would accommodate ships too large to pass under the bridge.
Cruise terminal operator SSA Marine and Tampa-based Slip Knott LLC are behind the proposal, which they are calling the Knott-Cowen Cruise Port.
"We believe a new port on the seaward side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge will complement current and future cruise activities in the region and will bring additional tourism to West Central Florida," the developers said.
If approved, they anticipate construction would take three to five years.
The project is facing opposition from the local community and environmental advocates, who argue that the port would irreparably harm the ecosystem. The area is a wildlife haven and amongst the last natural, undeveloped areas on Tampa Bay, according to the Bradenton Herald.
SSA Marine supports port operations in Tampa Bay, Cape Canaveral, Miami and Jacksonville. It is also involved in cruise ports on the East Coast and West Coast and in Alaska and Mexico as well as in Galveston and New Orleans.