Old waterfront building shouldn’t get city bailout
Published 9:00 pm Monday, April 5, 2004
The saying, "They used to build things to last" doesn’t apply to the sharp red Collins Building on West Marine View Drive in Everett.
The 60,000-square-foot structure built in the 1920s or ’30s — no one seems quite certain — is perched atop pilings that apparently weren’t treated at the time of construction. When the area was filled in decades ago, those pilings weren’t properly prepared for it. Now they, along with practically every other feature of the building, would have to be replaced in order to make it a viable part of the waterfront’s upcoming makeover. It doesn’t even come close to meeting earthquake-proof standards.
If the small group of citizens working hard to save the Collins Building can raise enough money to tackle the major project, more power to it. But a city government that is undergoing major budget cuts, including layoffs, is in no financial position to help.
It’s easy to see why organizers of the "Save the Collins Building" are pursuing the goal. The structure is impressive from the outside, and the inside reveals an expansive open space awash in light in parts of the upper floors. Yes, it would be a great venue for a farmers’ market, museum and art galleries. Despite its fragile and near-empty state, visitors can almost hear and see the activity that must have filled the structure when it housed many businesses so long ago.
Despite what some may think, that life and history is not lost on Port of Everett officials. They’re willing to listen to any suggestions people have on how to save the building, said Bob McChesney, port properties director. John Mohr, the port’s executive director, was especially fond of the building and made officials prove to him why it wasn’t economically feasible to invest in refurbishing it for future use as part of the new marina plan. Once he saw the work and dollars involved, he was convinced.
It’s hard to know what went through the minds of the men who built the Collins Building. Did they see it as a permanent structure in their bustling and booming mill town? Or was it quickly put together to meet the needs of growing business along the waterfront?
Either way, it would have to be rebuilt from the ground up, literally, to meet the needs of today’s growing downtown and port. Such a massive undertaking will have to come from the community, not city coffers.
