EVERETT—Port of Everett CEO Lisa Lefeber delivered her annual Port Report at the Port’s newest hotel, Hotel Indigo, on Tuesday, July 16, addressing the POE’s focus on sustainability, new developments, and the upcoming plan to seek voter’s approval of expanding its boundaries this August.
The biggest topic of Lefeber’s report was the boundary expansions – to inform the public on what that would look like if voter’s approve this August.
In a historic action on Dec. 19, 2023, the Port of Everett Commission unanimously passed Resolution No. 1220, directing Port staff to submit a proposition to enlarge the limits of the existing Port District to the Snohomish County Council for voter consideration — a first since the citizens voted to create the Port back in 1918. On March 12, 2024, the Snohomish County Council unanimously approved a motion to place the petition by the Port of Everett for boundary enlargement on the August 2024 primary ballot.
The measure will consider enlarging the Port District to include most of Snohomish County, excluding Edmonds. The decision follows years of discussion on the topic and a recent exploratory effort by the Port to conduct an economic value study and legal assessment of expanding boundaries beyond its current footprint to be better positioned to bring value and economic opportunities to more of the County.
“At this time, only about 15 percent of the County population has access to port economic development resources,” said Lefeber. “The Port of Everett is one of the largest ports in the state that doesn’t serve the whole county. This measure, if passed, would allow the Port to invest in key transportation, economic development, and environmental projects outside the current District.”
Approximately 40% of jobs in Washington State are tied to trade and 60% of jobs tied to trade exist right here within Snohomish County.
The Port recently completed $150 million in investment to support these industries by adding container cranes to its south terminal just in time for the Boeing 777-X hopeful distribution.
The Port also recently cleaned out 280 acres of upland to allow for economic development and job creation but now it’s time to get into the water to clean out its contamination, Lefeber said.
The Port received a $5 million grant to electrify its pier, replacing its current diesel generators, which Lefeber says will save 640 tons of Co2 per year. The Port just applied for a $25 million EPA grant to electrify all its cargo handling equipment.
This upcoming Tuesday the Port will be breaking ground on two new buildings, called A12 and A6, which will be the site of Alexa’s Cafe, Menchie’s frozen yogurt, Rustic Cork Wine Bar, an upcoming fish market and a Mexican restaurant.
The Port hopes to have licensing completed by next July so that visitors can begin enjoying these upcoming restaurants by next summer.
In 2025 the Port plans to break ground on an additional 315 housing units along with space for more retail.
Lefeber also mentioned some of the upcoming events coming up for the Port including the Rock the Boat music festival and Jetty Island Days.
Lefeber didn’t have much to say regarding the Mukilteo Waterfront development other than it’s a “difficult project” and she hopes to get the ball rolling “sooner rather than later.”
Doors opened at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday for those wishing to expand their network while indulging on a delicious assortment of crab legs, shrimp, smoked salmon, crab cakes, chicken skewers, bruschetta, charcuterie, and a full bar service.
Afterwards, beginning at 5 p.m., Wendy Poischbeg, Interim President and CEO of the Economic Alliance Snohomish County took the stage to read the land acknowledgment and share some opening remarks.
Rich White with the Boeing Company—one of the event’s main sponsors along with the Port of Everett, Northsound Media, and the Herald Media company, Snohomish County PUD, Porsche Seattle North, and Maritime Institute—followed Poischbeg with a quick look at some of the exciting things happening in Everett’s Aerospace industry.
Perhaps the biggest update, White mentioned, is that Boeing had its first certification flight for the 777-9 last Friday and is now awaiting final approval by the FAA to begin delivering the airline to customers hopefully by 2025, after years of delays.
“Soon passengers all around the world can experience the wonders of flight in one of the most wonderful airplanes that has ever been built in human history,” said White.
Tom Stiger, Port Commissioner, shared some of the big developments happening on the Port’s three main lines of business—the International Shipping Terminal, the Marina, and its Recreational Facilities.
The Port’s International Shipping Terminal operates eight shipping berths including Pier 1 (North and South), Pier 3 (North and South), Pacific Terminal Wharf, Hewitt Terminal Wharf, South Terminal Wharf and Norton Terminal Wharf. The Port also operates a barge-to-rail facility known as Mount Baker Terminal in South Everett to support movement of oversized aerospace containers.
The Port of Everett is the third largest shipping port in Washington state and is the region’s premier breakbulk cargo facility handling high-value, dimensional and over-dimensional cargos in support of the aerospace, military, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, energy, and forest products industries, Stiger noted.
What’s more, the Port ranks second in the state with approximately $21 million in exports, the bulk of this being Boeing. The Port’s Marina, on the other hand, is the largest public marina on the West Coast with more than 2,300 slips. In addition, with the City of Everett and Snohomish County, the Port has the largest public boat launch.
Some of the most recent developments with the Marina, Stiger said, is the completion of a dredge of the inner harbor, a current repair effort of the south marina, and future plans to add a fuel dock to the central Marina.
As far as the Port’s third line of business, its property and real estate development which encompasses 3,300 acres, and 1,500 acres on nearby Jetty Island, stretching from the Mukilteo Waterfront all the way to Blue Heron Slough (between Everett and Marysville along Interstate 5), Stiger mentioned a list of new leasers that have moved in lately from restaurants to boat dealers to offices.
The Blue Heron Slough was purchased by the Port with the intention of environmental restoration. Lefeber was happy to report Tuesday that there are now five different fish species thriving there.
A few of these new businesses include: the Muse Coffee and Whiskey Bar, which held the annual Port Report event last year, Fisherman Jack’s, Hotel Indigo, which hosted this year’s Port Report event, Sound to Summit Brewing, and South Fork Bakery.
Afterwards a raffle was held which included prizes ranging from a Lombardi’s Italian Restaurant gift card; to an overnight stay at the Hotel Indigo; to a pair of main cabin roundtrip tickets to anywhere Alaska Airlines travels.
This year, attendees were able to embark on a one-hour guided boat tour aboard the Hat Island Ferry enjoying beer, wine, hors d’oeuvres and networking by water.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
