Seattle’s new ferry terminal at Colman Dock opens with upgrades

SEATTLE — After five years of construction, Seattle’s flagship ferry terminal building at Colman Dock will open to the public Friday, a milestone for the $467 million project.

Construction on the portal to Bremerton and Bainbridge Island began in 2017 after officials determined the terminal was aging and vulnerable to an earthquake. Ferry operations continued throughout while the terminal was built in stages while the old terminal was torn down. One-third of the building opened in 2019.

More than 10 million people pass through Colman Dock yearly. It’s by far the busiest hub in the state ferries system.

According to Washington State Ferries, the new 20,000-square-foot building will provide over 4,000 square feet of windows looking out on Elliott Bay and Seattle, triple the amount of seating, and have four bathrooms and 12 turnstiles for each route.

WSF said the final parts of the project, the entry building along Alaskan Way and the elevated pedestrian walkway into the terminal, will finish in 2023. Work also remains for some elevators and the 10 food and retail vendors in the building.

The project is funded by federal, state and local dollars, with King County pitching in money for the new passenger-only ferry terminal.