June 12, 2007 - The Diamond Princess became the first ship to dock at Ketchikan, Alaska's new Berth III. This new berth is the result of years of work by Bermello, Ajamil & Partners assisting the City of Ketchikan with the development of its master plan, business negotiations and feasibility studies used for the sale of Bonds and finally Construction Management Services for the project.
Ketchikan's economy is based upon cruise ship tourism and fishing. Over the years the cruise ship industry has grown to demand this new berth. B&A is currently assisting the City with the implementation of the fourth berth. This is major achievement for the City, with a population of under 10,000, the work accomplished by B&A will result in an investment package of over $100 million. It represents the largest ever cruise ship project in Alaska and the Northwest area of the US and Canada.
Construction of the berth was made more difficult by the weather conditions. It took place during the off season (winter) in an area that gets 152 inches of rain a year and the average temperature in January is 33 degrees F.
(Photo by Jim Hill, Ketchikan Daily News.)
