Juneau Cruise Terminal Scaled Back as Price Tag Nears $250 Million
If you're sailing to Juneau for the 2028 Alaska season, the Áak'w Landing terminal is targeted to be ready, though the timeline depends on the Borough Assembly approving a revised conditional use permit, a process that could include public hearings and delays. Bus parking for shore excursions remains unchanged, so tour logistics shouldn't shift. Watch for updates on the permit review before finalizing 2028 Juneau itinerary expectations.
The numbers tell the story here: a project that ballooned from $150 million to over $250 million got redesigned rather than abandoned. My read is Huna Totem made the right call pulling back from the property line — building over water on pilings was driving both tariff-inflated steel costs and, per the geotechnical analysis, deeper foundation costs for those heavier multi-story buildings. Cutting to one story and losing underground parking looks like the cheapest way to protect the 2028 opening target without blowing past budget again. Residents and cruisers still get the welcome center, cultural space, and seawalk extension, just smaller. The wildcard is Borough Assembly approval — if that process drags with public hearings, 2028 slips. If I were booking Alaska 2028, I'd treat Áak'w Landing's opening as likely but not locked in.