Posted on October 20, 2025
Plans to develop a new 200-acre deep-water terminal to accommodate larger, next-generation ships are on the preliminary drawing boards at the Port of Los Angeles — but it could take awhile to become a reality.
That’s because the project is estimated to take about 10 years to complete, and that’s after it goes through all of the environmental approval steps.
Pier 500 would be constructed just south of Pier 400, with two new berths and about 3,000 linear feet of available wharf. The location is in the natural deep waters off the southern tip of Terminal Island.
The development, which is intended to increase the port’s cargo efficiency, is in its preliminary stages of planning. This month, the port announced it is seeking proposals from interested parties to participate in the pre-development phase of the proposed project.
A selected party would enter into a public-private, pre-development agreement with the port to assess the project’s financial feasibility, procure entitlements and handle other requirements needed before the port could implement and build-out the project, according to POLA’s website.
“For the first time in a generation, the Port of Los Angeles plans to build a new container terminal to meet global supply chain demand for decades into the future,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a written statement on the port’s website. “The development of the cleanest terminal possible would enhance our efficiency and sustainability while creating new jobs in our communities.”
The port has identified a submerged site of 124 acres, infrastructure that was added during the construction of the adjacent Pier 400 before it was completed in 2002, for the new terminal. The proposed Pier 500 project would allow the port to leverage that existing asset.
A pre-development process will include all necessary assessments as required under the California Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. The entire proposed Pier 500 project — from pre-development, entitlement procurement and environmental review to full build-out and operation — is expected to take about 10 years.
Questions from those interested in the pre-development process are due by 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22. Proposals are due to the Port of Los Angeles by 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29.
The full project details can be viewed at the port’s Current Opportunities page on the port website.
The newly-named Alette Maersk, a methanol-fueled cargo ship that can carry up to 16,200 containers, sits in San Pedro’s Outer Harbor at the Port of Los Angeles on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
