New SSA terminal opens in Woods Hole

Updated July 1.

As the Island enters the heart of summer and visitors sail in from the mainland, ferry passengers will be welcomed in Woods Hole at the Steamship Authority’s newly completed terminal, a project that was fraught with controversy throughout more than a decade of development. 

The new terminal building for the Steamship Authority (SSA) was opened to the public for the first time on Thursday, June 25, capping two years of a noisy, multiphased construction project in the heart of the seaside village of Woods Hole 

The management of this $37 million building project is not without its critics, and the SSA has much work to do to improve its standing both in Woods Hole and on the Island, but by many accounts, the design and function of the new terminal are winning some hearts and minds. 

Ted Gavin, the Vineyard’s representative to the SSA board, said while there’s still work to be done, he felt relieved that the terminal was open and that there won’t be any more construction during the summer, as the ferry line enters a “new normal.” 

“I’m glad it’s finally done,” Gavin said. He told The Times that the building will serve people for the next 50 years, and while “we can quibble about design,” the new terminal seems to be meeting the needs of travelers. 

Alex Kryska, SSA general manager, said in a statement, “The opening of this terminal marks a tremendous milestone in the decadelong project to totally reimagine and rebuild the Woods Hole terminal.”

Discussions of a new terminal began more than 10 years ago as the ferry line pursued a building to upgrade its facilities and counter rising sea levels. But it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing, with pushback from Woods Hole neighbors over the size and location of the building as well as concerns over traffic congestion. Several revisions were made to the design until the current, single-story version was approved in 2019 by the SSA board. 

Since the old terminal, which used to be where the third ferry slip now is, was demolished in 2018, the ticket office served as the Woods Hole terminal until the new building was opened. The temporary ticket office was closed on Thursday, and all operations have now moved to the new terminal. 

The new terminal, which cost $37 million to build, is noticeably larger than the temporary ticket office, which was around 3,600 square feet. The new terminal, designed by Boston-based BIA.studio, is 5,418 square feet. An accompanying utility building on the edge of the property for employees is 5,981 square feet. Woods Hole is the SSA’s busiest port, and according to the ferry line, 2.4 million passengers and 550,000 vehicles passed through it in 2025. 

“It’s exciting to see it finally open, people using it, people hanging out and sitting waiting for the next boat to come in,” Alex Kryska, SSA general manager, told The Times Thursday. Construction of the terminal and utility building began in October 2024. 

Mark Amundsen, SSA COO, touted the energy-efficient building design as a part of Gov. Maura Healey’s goal of being net zero by 2050. He highlighted that 18 out of 39 geothermal wells are drilled underground and circulate groundwater to heat and cool the terminal; the remainder are located on other parts of the project site. There are also plans to install two solar canopies and solar panels in an effort to obtain its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, a rating system that grades a building’s sustainability and energy efficiency. 

Amundsen also said the building was built to sustain hurricane-force winds and storm surges, as it’s elevated by concrete walls and has deployable flood barriers. 

In Woods Hole on Tuesday, many people interviewed about the new terminal haven’t been inside the terminal yet, but reactions varied depending on how close they lived. People who work in Woods Hole but live elsewhere in Falmouth, the town Woods Hole is a part of, were either indifferent to the project or approved of the building.

“I think it’s great,” said Therese Steele, manager at Soft as a Grape clothes store in Woods Hole. 

But those who call Woods Hole home still felt apprehensive about the building, highlighting its size and erasure of the waterfront view from certain parts of the village. Bob Morris, a longtime resident, said, “All you can see is the roof of that damn building” from the Crane Street bridge and the Woods Hole Public Library. 

“That building is a desecration of a beautiful thing,” Morris said, referencing the waterfront views which are now largely obstructed. 

Nat Trumbull, a resident who’s long advocated for less congestion in Woods Hole through his organization, the Southeast Massachusetts Regional Transportation (SMART) Citizens Task Force, said he hasn’t seen how the terminal operates just yet. But he shared Morris’ sentiments. 

“The building was designed for the Steamship to look out onto Woods Hole, but was not designed for Woods Hole residents,” Trumbull said. 

On the Vineyard, two of the founders of the SSA Citizens Action Group, Beth O’Connor and Amy Cody, were also not celebratory over the project. They highlighted that Islanders who travel to the mainland also have to deal with the impacts in Woods Hole, such as congestion. To O’Connor and Cody, the terminal was an example of mismanagement and overspending by the SSA over the years. 

“It’s kind of bristling when a Vineyard resident or a visitor says it’s a beautiful building,” Cody said. 

Cody and O’Connor questioned the size of the building and its design, believing the SSA overspent on a “legacy building.” 

“We’re New Englanders at heart … give us a solid building, and we’d be happy,” she said. 

Still, Cody said, they were hopeful of better days with Kryska, who began general manager duties in January, and a changing board.

The terminal was initially supposed to open in mid-May, but Kryska said the process was snagged by underground boulders that needed to be moved and delays caused by winter storms in February. The ferry line also only received an occupancy permit about a week and a half before it was opened. With the “soft launch” taken care of, Kryska expects an official ceremony to be held at some point deeper in July. 

Now the ferry line is turning its attention to the next phase in renovating the area. That means getting rid of the temporary ticket office and the two construction trailers in order to open up more parking. Afterward, landscaping and further construction, like paving, relighting, and the installation of solar panels, will take place. 

“That’ll start at some point in the fall, probably not until January,” Kryska said.

Meantime, SSA spokesperson Geoff Spillane said the ferry line has prepared to meet visitors during the upcoming holiday weekend.

“The new Woods Hole terminal has been open for a week and has received favorable reviews from locals and visitors alike,” Spillane said in a statement. “We look forward to a very busy Fourth of July weekend at the terminal, but , as always, advise travelers to allow ample time for parking and transit to Woods Hole.”

Editor’s note: Updated with comments from Ted Gavin, Woods Hole residents, and members of SSA Citizens Action Group.