By Bryan Corliss
Herald Writer
EVERETT — The 65-acre North Marina would be divided into distinct zones for housing, retail, public access and marine businesses under three proposals laid out Wednesday by consultants for the Port of Everett.
The goal of each is to create a place that’s "attractive and useful to the community, while remaining economically viable," port director John Mohr said. "This has been a real balancing act, given the competing demands."
But while port officials look toward the future of the North Marina, industrial tenants who would have to leave the site say nobody’s keeping an eye out for them.
"There hasn’t been much conversation about the downside," said Steven Brannon, the president of American Construction Co.
Consultants from Team Maritime, the developers working with the port on the project, outlined their proposals Tuesday. Port officials said they will proceed with all three alternatives during the permitting process, which will take about 18 months. Construction likely wouldn’t begin on any of the alternatives until late 2003.
All the proposals share similar concepts. Thirteenth Street would be the primary access to the property, running from Marine View Drive to the waterfront. The western edge would become home to an inn and restaurants. A mix of offices, retail stores and housing — between 440 and 660 condos or apartments — would fill in between, along with parking and public gathering spaces for performances and a farmers market.
A "craftsman district" would become the home to maritime-related businesses along 12th Street, along the eastern shore of a new 200-slip marina in the 12th Street Waterway.
Public access would be guaranteed by a 1.5-mile esplanade, a walking and biking path along the waterfront all around the site. And north-south pedestrian corridors would link the North Marina to the 10th Street boat launch, which would become home to a new waterfront park under the plans.
The whole development would share common design features, said Michael Weinstein, an urban designer working on the project. "Not a Disney kind of knock-off … but something that will make the community proud."
The alternatives differ in the layout of 13th Street. Two alternatives see it as a loop road, and one a straight street leading to the inn at the water’s edge. There are also variations in the location and size of the housing, retail and office projects.
Consultant Paul Sorenson said he expects the project to generate a $35 million payroll during the six years it is likely to take for it to be built. Once it is built, the development would create up to 2,500 jobs, including high-paying professionals and possibly technology companies, who would fill the waterfront offices.
But Brannon and others noted that there already are hundreds of people working for industrial companies on the port land. Companies like his will be hamstrung, he said, spending money to find new homes instead of investing it into growing their businesses.
Port officials say they are committed to helping their industrial tenants find new bases in Everett, potentially on port-owned land along the Snohomish River.
But so far, "it’s just very vague," Brannon said.
Mohr said talks are under way with industrial tenants to find them new homes. "We certainly want to keep those jobs in the community," he said.
You can call Herald Writer Bryan Corliss at 425-339-3454
or send e-mail to corliss@heraldnet.com.
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