As the Island enters the heart of summer and visitors sail in from the mainland, passengers will be welcomed at the Steamship Authority’s (SSA) newly completed terminal.
The new Woods Hole terminal building was opened to the public for the first time on Thursday, June 25, closing nearly two years of construction for the multi-phase renovation of the ferry line’s property.
“The opening of this terminal marks a tremendous milestone in the decade-long project to totally reimagine and rebuild the Woods Hole terminal,” Alex Kryska, SSA general manager, said in a statement.
Discussions of a new terminal began over ten years ago as the ferry line pursued a building to upgrade its facilities and counter rising sea levels. But it hadn’t been the smoothest process, with pushback from Woods Hole neighbors over the size and location of the building and concerns over traffic congestion. Several revisions had to be made to the design until this version was reached.
Since the old terminal was demolished in 2018, previously located where the third slip is located, the ticket office served as the Woods Hole terminal until the new building was opened. The ticket office was closed on Thursday.
The new terminal, which cost $37 million to build, is noticeably larger than the current ticket office, which is around 3,600 square feet. The new terminal, designed by Boston-based BIA.studio, is 5,418 square feet and an accompanying utility building for employees is 5,981 square feet. Woods Hole is the SSA’s busiest port, the ferry line said they had 2.4 million passengers and 550,000 vehicles pass 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. Construction of the terminal and a utility building began in October of 2024.
Mark Amundsen, SSA COO, touted the building contributing to Gov. Maura Healey’s goal of being net-zero by 2050. He highlighted the 18 of 39 geothermal wells drilled underground that circulate groundwater to heat and cool the terminal. 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 resist hurricane-force winds and storm surges, being elevated by concrete walls and deployable flood barriers.
While the building was initially planned to be opened in mid-May, Kryska said the process was snagged by underground boulders that needed to be moved and delays that were contributed by winter storms in February. The ferry line had also received an occupancy permit about a week and a half ago. With the “soft launch” taken care of, Kryska expects a ceremony to be held in July.
Now, the ferry line is turning its attention to the next phase in renovating the area. That means getting rid of the old ticket office and the two construction trailers 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 some point in the fall, probably not until January,” Kryska said.