This boardwalk at Pier 66 is relatively new as part of a reconstruction project. There is an interpretive display next to the SE end of the boardwalk that highlights the development of this site over the years and reads:
What is here now?
By 1994, the Bell Street Terminal ("Pier 66"), too small and too difficult to renovate, had reached the end of its useful life. Port headquarters moved north to Pier 69, and the terminal was demolished to make way for what you see now -- Bell Street Pier -- a multiuse development with a maritime emphasis.
Over the years, Seattle's downtown waterfront has seen tremendous changes in its maritime use. Terminals for larger ships moved to the north and south in 1915, due to the harbor's deep water making it impossible to build the lone lone piers necessary for larger freighter and passenger ships. Although this was the beginning of the central waterfront's decline in importance for major shipping, it continues to be used for local passenger, mail and cargo vessels.
In planning for the redevelopment of Bell Street Pier, the Port included maritime uses that made sense for an urban central waterfront, and were consistent with the current industry. This included moorage for cruise vessels, recreational boats, and tribal fishing boats, as well as large-vessel transient moorage, and fish processing. The project also included a conference center, limited retail, and office space. Separate buildings house a restaurant and a harbormaster office, and numerous areas of public access offer close view of the water and maritime activity. A two-level pedestrian bridge crossing Alaskan Way at Bell Street provides a connection between Bell Street Pier, the Pike Place Market, and the Denny Regrade, a residential neighborhood.