Posted on October 6, 2025
For the first time in two decades, the Port of Los Angeles is in expansion mode.
America’s busiest cargo handling port is seeking proposals from interested parties to participate in the pre-development of a new marine terminal, Pier 500.
The proposed 200-acre project would be the first new container terminal built at the L.A. gateway since 2002, when the adjacent Pier 400 was completed. The 507-acre Pier 400 is currently the port’s largest terminal.
Pier 500 would use 124 acres of submerged infrastructure that was added during the construction of Pier 400.
When accounting for pre-development, procurement of entitlements such as zoning, environmental review, full buildout and operation, the project is expected to take approximately 10 years to complete.
As proposed, Pier 500 would have two new berths and approximately 3,000 feet of new available wharf. The terminal’s expected container-handling capacity and total cost projections were not disclosed.
According to a press release, the project site would increase the port’s cargo efficiency, because it would allow for bigger, next-generation cargo ships. Ultra-large container ships can hold more than 20,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
The selected entity would enter into a public-private pre-development agreement with the port to measure the project’s financial feasibility, procure entitlements and handle other requirements needed before the project’s implementation and buildout.
“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,” said Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka in a statement. “The development of the cleanest terminal possible would enhance our efficiency and sustainability while creating new jobs in our communities.”
In line with the sustainability goals, pre-development will also include the required environmental assessments under the California Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.
If the 10-year development goes according to plan, the port would build on its already strong foundation. The Port of Los Angeles handled 10.3 million TEUs in 2024, tops of all ports in the U.S. For the first eight months of 2025, container throughput has totaled 6.9 million TEUs, 4.5 percent more than the year-ago period.
Proposals are due to the Port of Los Angeles by 3 p.m., Jan. 29, 2026. As part of that process, qualified entities that submit proposals under a pre-development agreement, with the potential to subsequently enter into a leasing and development pact.
The West Coast hub isn’t the only major gateway undergoing current expansion efforts. Among major U.S. ports, the proposed Louisiana International Terminal in New Orleans and Sparrows Point Container Terminal in Baltimore are the only other standalone container terminal projects in development.
Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal at the Port of Charleston is the most recently built major terminal in the U.S., having been completed in 2021.
NYC requests renovation strategies for Brooklyn port terminal
The East Coast’s largest port complex could see some new developments in the coming years as well.
At the Port of New York & New Jersey, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is requesting its own proposals from domestic and international port operators alike on renovating the Brooklyn Marine Terminal (BMT).
The project is part of the recently passed “Vision Plan” to transform the terminal into a modern maritime port and mixed-use community, backed by $418 million in city, state and federal funds.
Under the plan, the BMT will be converted into a 60-acre sustainable all-electric port with a new marginal pier to promote water-to-water freight, remove trucks from local streets and New York City roadways, and serve as a node in Mayor Eric Adams administration’s “Blue Highways” initiative to move more goods along the city’s waterways.
Additionally, the new initiative will create over 275,000 square feet of industrial space and another 275,000 square feet of commercial space, alongside a $10 million development fund to support the industrial sector within the broader neighborhood.
In May 2024, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey agreed to transfer the BMT to the NYCEDC so the city could refurbish the terminal.
As part of its request, NYCEDC is seeking input on the optimal size, layout and economically viable uses of the commercial port, including potential “Blue Highways” connections.
Earlier this year, the organization executed three maritime contracts totaling $18 million, including $15 million for a new electric ship-to-shore crane, $2 million for fender repairs to Pier 10 and $1 million for the demolition and removal of four out-of-service cranes, which was completed in September.
