Mukilteo looking for developers to build on waterfront
Published 1:30 am Friday, July 31, 2026
EVERETT — The city of Mukilteo is officially seeking developers to lease and build up properties along its waterfront, the city announced in a press release Wednesday.
Mukilteo, in the press release, wrote that it has begun a competitive process to look for developers interested in leasing and developing a 1.19-acre site on the city’s waterfront, known to the city as Lot 5. The development, according to the city, would be a long-term lease of up to 80 years, allowing the city to remain the owner of the land while a private developer builds and operates the project.
“The city is seeking a partner, not just a tenant,” Mukilteo wrote in the press release. “The selected developer will work closely with the city and the Port of Everett to shape a waterfront that serves the entire community.”
The announcement stated that the city is releasing a request for qualifications, the first part of a two-part process looking for a development partner.
The city, along with the Port of Everett, have spent years looking to construct a walkable promenade with restaurants, retail and housing along the waterfront, sandwiched between the long-standing Mukilteo Lighthouse and the state ferry terminal. In 2016, the city put together a waterfront master plan with visions of public beach access, a new city park and new housing and businesses.
Much of the waterfront has sat in limbo for years, with ownership split between the city and the Port of Everett.
A fuel storage tank farm for the U.S. Air Force, built in the 1950s, remained there for decades before it was decommissioned in 1990. After doing cleanup work on the site, the Air Force gave much of that land to the Port of Everett in 2013, which gave some of the land to partners like the city of Mukilteo in 2016 to create the larger waterfront development. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had also planned to open a research facility along part of the waterfront but scrapped those plans in 2021, transferring that land to the Port of Everett earlier this year.
The Mukilteo City Council gave the city the go-ahead to explore leasing the property via a vote in March. It had also considered selling the property, but voted that option down.
The Port of Everett announced in February that it was also planning to look for developers to build on its properties located along the waterfront.
In Thursday’s press release, Mukilteo wrote that it is “advancing this process in coordination” with the port.
“The two agencies are working together to ensure that their independent development programs complement each other and deliver a cohesive waterfront experience from end to end,” the city wrote.
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
