Goldbelt Reveals New Details on Proposed Juneau Cruise Dock Project

Goldbelt Inc. has released new details about a proposed cruise ship port, named Goldbelt Aaní, which would be located on the backside of Juneau’s Douglas Island. However, city officials report that they remain largely uninformed about the project.

Earlier this summer, Goldbelt launched a website that presents a timeline for the port’s opening, visitor attractions, and conceptual designs. Most current cruise docks are situated along the downtown waterfront on Gastineau Channel. Last fall, Goldbelt announced its development plans in partnership with Royal Caribbean Group, but city officials expressed surprise at the announcement, and nine months later, Juneau’s Visitor Industry Director Alix Pierce mentioned she still lacks information about the project.

Goldbelt’s President and CEO McHugh Pierre indicated that the corporation is preparing to submit a conditional use permit application to the city but refrained from sharing additional information. Goldbelt, an Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act beneficiary, owns land on the northwest side of Douglas Island, where the port is expected to span about 250 acres near the road’s end on North Douglas.

According to the website, Goldbelt envisions the port as a modern cruise destination inspired by Tlingit culture, replicating a historic Lingít village. Plans include other attractions such as floatplane docks, whale watching, employee housing, and childcare facilities. The port is designed to ease congestion in downtown Juneau and promote Alaska Native culture.

Goldbelt has started the groundwork for permitting the dock and its amenities, aiming for approvals from the city’s planning commission and the Juneau Assembly. The timeline for these approvals remains uncertain, but Goldbelt anticipates welcoming its first cruise ship in the 2028 tourism season.

This initiative parallels another cruise dock development by Huna Totem Corp., an Alaska Native village corporation, which recently received approval for a new downtown Juneau cruise ship dock.

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