Published October 2003

Everett OKs waterfront redevelopment plan

By Mike Benbow
Herald Business Editor

A proposed $200 million redevelopment that would place high-end condos, office buildings and retail shops on the Everett waterfront won approval from the Everett City Council in September.

The 5-1 vote came despite complaints about public access, views and businesses that the project would displace.

“This is a terrific boon to the economic development of this community,” council member Mark Olson said.

The decision paves the way for the Port of Everett to go ahead with additional plans for a new marina that would add more than 200 boat slips, primarily for vessels 35 feet and longer. The marina isn’t part of the agreement approved by the city, but is a companion project. It would be constructed adjacent to a $200 million redevelopment of what the port calls its north marina area.

That development would be completed by a private company, Maritime Trust Corp. of Chicago, under a negotiated agreement. The 65-acre area, which now hosts a number of marine and industrial businesses, would be rebuilt to include condominiums, office buildings, retail stores and other businesses.

In September, the council chambers were filled with residents, and more than 15 had something to say about the proposal. A number of people spoke in favor of the project, but many were concerned about specific parts of it, especially the amount of open space.

Council members Ron Gipson and Doug Campbell supported delaying the vote a month after hearing from residents, including Ken Taylor, who complained that details about open spaces were vague.

“Open spaces need to be clearly defined in this agreement,” he said. “We need large, grassy areas.”

Paul Roberts, city planning director, noted that some 7 acres, or about 10 percent of the project, would involve public spaces and walkways. Olson spoke against delaying approval to try to change the agreement, which was negotiated with city staff.

“We can’t have everything in every project,” he said. “Compare this to what’s down there now.”

Council member Bob Overstreet earlier excused himself from the vote, saying that some observers might think he wouldn’t be able to be fair because the view from his Grand Avenue home would be affected by the project.

He wasn’t there to break the tie when the move to delay was stalemated by a 3-3 vote. The development was approved 5-1 on the next ballot, with Gipson casting the only negative vote.

Port officials said that while some 65 existing jobs will likely be lost, the project would ultimately create more than 2,200 jobs with an annual payroll of more than $100 million. Property taxes for the city would climb to $2.3 million from the $400,000 paid now, according to port estimates.

The average salary, they said, would be $45,000.

“This is an absolutely major project to turn an area that has been significantly underused into a tremendous asset for the city,” said port lawyer Brad Cattle.

The proposal was endorsed unanimously by the city’s planning commission earlier this year after officials attempted to address complaints from Grand Avenue residents, who said allowing buildings to be 20 feet higher there than they are now would drastically harm their views and property values.

The developers shortened the heights of some buildings and added more space between others to create what they called view corridors within the development.

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