The Port of Everett this week commemorated the first phase of its Waterfront Place mixed-use project with a groundbreaking ceremony for two new retail buildings in Fishermen’s Harbor.
When completed, the new timber-themed buildings are expected to occupy Fisherman Jack’s restaurant, South Fork Bakery and office space for Bellingham Yachts, Freedom Boat Club and Waterline Boats by 2022-2023. Public restrooms and gathering spaces are also being planned in the construction.
“This area was the industrial hub of Everett when the port was formed more than a century ago – it has now become a hub of the revitalization for all of Everett,” port CEO Lisa Lefeber said. “Not only are these investments creating a new vibrancy here, but also creating new jobs.”
Fisherman’s Harbor is the port’s first public/private development district in Waterfront Place, a 1.5 million-square-foot development. The new construction builds out about 8,600 square feet of the 26,000 square feet of planned retail and restaurant space in this district.
About 900 new jobs are expected to be generated from Fishermen’s Harbor when completed, with up to 2,100 jobs when Waterfront Place is fully built out, the port said.
“We have been strategically investing in this destination waterfront, and in the process, have created a new high-demand marketplace,” Port Commission President Tom Stiger said. “All together, we’ve got about $150 million in public and private investment here, which has allowed us to reach this important next step in the project.”
Meanwhile, the port is already working on the next phase of Waterfront Place. Port officials are looking over potential mixed-use developers who could build out the adjacent Millwright District, an area that offers up to 56,518 square feet of retail space, 181,894 square feet of commercial space and 190 multi-family housing units. Port officials plan to choose a developer by December.
