Finding space for 7E7 vendors may be tricky

  • John Wolcott / Herald Business Journal editor
  • Wednesday, February 11, 2004 9:00pm
  • Business

EVERETT — Will future 7E7 suppliers find all the space they need for new facilities close to the Boeing Co.’s assembly plant here?

Perhaps, perhaps not, said Bellevue-based Cushman &Wakefield executive Gary Bullington, who markets properties in Snohomish County.

Bullington’s comments about how the new aircraft project might affect commercial real estate in the county came Tuesday at the end of the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Association’s annual meeting in Lynnwood.

"The question to be answered before you can talk about economic impact is, ‘What are the nature of the facilities the vendors are going to need?’ We know they will need manufacturing and warehousing buildings, but how big and how many? Our inventory of properties and facilities is not particularly large," he said.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Take away the three largest properties on the market — two Boeing buildings in the Bomarc Business Park and one at Goodrich Corp.’s Paine Field site — and the remaining industrial space in south Snohomish County amounts to a vacancy rate of only around 8 percent.

"That’s just about a normal vacancy for industrial areas," Bullington said. "Since most companies probably won’t want the huge space in those three buildings, they will be looking at the remaining space, and there isn’t that much for the kind of demand we may be expecting from those vendors."

The good news is that Seaway Center in southwest Everett has land available for around 600,000 square feet of industrial buildings that could be erected quickly — within a matter of months — by Panatonni, a major developer for 37 acres at the site, Bullington said.

"Seaway Center is master planned, with a ‘smart park’ with fiber-optic networks, so permitting, plan approvals and construction could take place is a matter of months. Building from raw land elsewhere would take at least two years, including permits, and that’s too long to fit the short timetable these vendors will have," he said.

He also sees a great potential need for office space for engineering work, as Boeing is asking its major vendors to design and engineer many of the 7E7 component parts.

"Besides vacancies in two buildings in Quadrant I-5 Center in Lynnwood and some other office buildings, there’s a master-planned smart park — Opus Northpointe — just north of Lynnwood that can provide up to 750,000 square feet of office facilities in just a few months," he said.

One of the key questions though, Bullington said, is whether vendors for the 7E7 will build sections of the plane in other states and ship them to Everett or whether they will want facilities within five to 10 minutes’ driving time of the Boeing plant.

"Where all this subcontracting work is going to be done is yet to be determined," he said, "but it may be that these new tax incentives for Boeing, and also for other aerospace companies, will portray Washington as a much more business-friendly state, friendly enough to attract vendors to locate here."

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Business

A standard jet fuel, left, burns with extensive smoke output while a 50 percent SAF drop-in jet fuel, right, puts off less smoke during a demonstration of the difference in fuel emissions on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sustainable aviation fuel center gets funding boost

A planned research and development center focused on sustainable aviation… Continue reading

FILE — Jet fuselages at Boeing’s fabrication site in Everett, Wash., Sept. 28, 2022. Some recently manufactured Boeing and Airbus jets have components made from titanium that was sold using fake documentation verifying the material’s authenticity, according to a supplier for the plane makers. (Jovelle Tamayo/The New York Times)
Boeing adding new space in Everett despite worker reduction

Boeing is expanding the amount of space it occupies in… Continue reading

Paul Roberts makes a speech after winning the Chair’s Legacy Award on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 in Tulalip, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Paul Roberts: An advocate for environmental causes

Roberts is the winner of the newly established Chair’s Legacy Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Laaysa Chintamani speaks after winning on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 in Tulalip, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Laasya Chintamani: ‘I always loved science and wanted to help people’

Chintamani is the recipient of the Washington STEM Rising Star Award.

Dave Somers makes a speech after winning the Henry M. Jackson Award on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 in Tulalip, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County Executive Dave Somers: ‘It’s working together’

Somers is the recipient of the Henry M. Jackson Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Mel Sheldon makes a speech after winning the Elson S. Floyd Award on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 in Tulalip, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mel Sheldon: Coming up big for the Tulalip Tribes

Mel Sheldon is the winner of the Elson S. Floyd Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County

Craig Skotdal makes a speech after winning on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 in Tulalip, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Craig Skotdal: Helping to breathe life into downtown Everett

Skotdal is the recipient of the John M. Fluke Sr. award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County

Katie Wallace, left, checks people into the first flight from Paine Field to Honolulu on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Executive order makes way for Paine Field expansion planning

Expansion would be a long-range project estimated to cost around $300 million.

Dick’s Drive-In announces opening date for new Everett location

The new drive-in will be the first-ever for Everett and the second in Snohomish County.

Helion's 6th fusion prototype, Trenta, on display on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Helion celebrates smoother path to fusion energy site approval

Helion CEO applauds legislation signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson expected to streamline site selection process.

The Coastal Community Bank branch in Woodinville. (Contributed photo)
Top banks serving Snohomish County with excellence

A closer look at three financial institutions known for trust, service, and stability.

Image from Erickson Furniture website
From couch to coffee table — Local favorites await

Style your space with the county’s top picks for furniture and flair.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.