EVERETT – What’s the cost of history?
If you’re talking about saving the Collins Building, the last old structure on Everett’s waterfront, the price tag is $8.5 million.
That’s the difference between what it would take to bring the building up to code and what the structure would be worth after the work is done, according to an environmental study.
The study, obtained by The Herald Thursday, looks at a variety of effects of the planned redevelopment of 65 waterfront acres by the Port of Everett and Maritime Trust, a Chicago-based company.
Noise and traffic shouldn’t be much of a problem, the study says. But it does raise some issues about the Collins Building, soil contamination and the height of some of the proposed structures.
The Collins Building has been a focal point because of a community effort to save the building, which once was used to make caskets. The study notes that it would likely fit in either as a public market, an office building or as site for boat repair work.
The 75-year-old vacant warehouse is three stories high and built with heavy timbers. Turning it into Class C office space would cost an estimated $13.2 million and involve major upgrades and renovations to meet building and safety codes.
Once that’s done, the building would only be valued at $4.7 million, based on the revenue it would generate as an office building, the study says.
In addition, the building is in an area the port hopes to rebuild into what will be called a craftsman district, essentially an area for places that sell, repair and store boats. Left where it is, it would take up 10 percent to 20 percent of the boatyard space, likely hindering its effectiveness, the study says.
“It would be very difficult to set up a functional boatyard if it stays in its current location,” said Dennis Derickson, a senior planner for David Evans and Associates and the author of the study.
Faith Lumsden, co-chairwoman of the Alliance to Save the Collins Building, said the good news is that the building is in relatively decent shape. She said her group hasn’t had a chance to study the evaluation but will look at it carefully.
“There has to be a way to do something to save the building,” she said. “It may cost an extra million to move it from the location.”
The other thing the group will study is whether the cost study is accurate, she said. “We’re not surprised to hear about the gap,” she said. “Maybe it’s $4 million to $6 million. We hope there’s something there.”
Property manager Eric Russell said Maritime Trust would not be asked to plug the $8.5 million gap, so restoration funds would have to come from public money.
Another issue raised by the study is soil contamination from long years of industrial use at the site. Studies are still being done to determine the depth of the contamination, but officials say they don’t expect it to hold up the project.
“It’s normal and expected,” said John Mohr, the port’s executive director.
Asked what in the study came as a surprise, Mohr said the planned site of a public amphitheater has some areas with soft soil that may require more support pilings and other work to keep it from sinking.
And Derickson said the lack of traffic impacts for such a big project was also “remarkable.” But he said the upgrades to the road system to accommodate Naval Station Everett left a lot of unused capacity, especially since some traffic will be eliminated because of the demolition of existing businesses on the site.
The study is a major milestone for the estimated $200 million to $250 million project. It looked at the ramifications of four different development proposals.
Mohr and Maritime Trust representative Ken Olsen said they both liked one alternative that put much of the parking underground, leaving more space for public walkways and pocket parks.
“It basically creates a real urban environment, while at the same time has a good neighborhood feel,” Mohr said.
The underground parking concept would mean the port would need to go back to the city of Everett to get changes in the development agreement the city approved.
Because of the soil issues, the port wants to add 15 feet of fill to cover the underground parking, rather than digging down 15 feet. That means of some of the buildings would be higher than now allowed.
Olson said he hopes to start building condos this fall and have people moving in by 2007.
“This has been a real good process, and we think we will have a project that everybody will be proud of,” Mohr said.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
