As a way to engage the public and gather public opinion the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) has set up a Terminal 5 Improvements online open house.

The Open House will be open for public interaction from Oct. 22. to Nov. 23.

The information from the project will also be available at a public scoping meeting on Thursday, November 12 from 5:30 - 8:30 PM at the Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 SW California Ave, Seattle, WA 98136).

Terminal 5 has been closed since July of 2014 since it's cranes and other equipment are no longer current.

Last year the Port Commission authorized $4.7 million to be spent on planning, designing and reviewing the Terminal 5 modernization project, which includes crane rails, fender system, structural rehabilitation, power supply and berth deepening. Actual construction will likely start in about two years.

Modernization of the approximately 50-year-old terminal is necessary due to ships getting built bigger and competitors’ efforts to upgrade their infrastructure to accommodate the more advanced technology. The ports need to upgrade facilities to accommodate vessels that are double the size of the vessels that were originally intended for the ports decades ago. The out-of-date cranes and berths are particularly problematic.