Port of Everett: Casting a Wide Net (Positive) for the Region
Port of Everett: Casting a Wide Net (Positive) for the Region
A working waterfront that pays dividends: the Port of Everett supports 40,000+ jobs and generates $433M in annual taxes—while modernizing its seaport, building the 40-acre Norton Terminal, and electrifying yard ops. Add Waterfront Place—$1B public/private investment, 2,100 future jobs, 1.6M visits a year—and the net positives ripple countywide.
By Emily Gilbert
Over the past decade, the Port of Everett has undergone a quiet yet powerful transformation – one that has reshaped its skyline, reinvigorated the local economy, and reconnected the community to the water in new and exciting ways. Once a shoreline dominated by industry, today the Port is a hub of innovation, recreation, and opportunity.
Although it has faced its share of challenges in its 100-year-plus history, its story is one of net positives. The Port now supports more than 40,000 jobs in the region and generates more than $433 million annually in state and local taxes that benefit the entire region. Whether it’s supporting global trade, creating family-wage jobs, welcoming boaters from near and far, or transforming the historic shoreline into vibrant public spaces, the Port casts a wide net.
Recently honored with Economic Alliance Snohomish County’s prestigious “Opportunity Lives Here” award, the Port of Everett’s is not only supporting the community today – it’s creating opportunities for tomorrow.
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Working Waterfront: A Hub of Industry and Innovation
At its core, the Port of Everett is – and always has been – a working waterfront. Once the capital of Puget Sound’s lumber industry, today it is Snohomish County’s only international seaport, handling high-value, conventional, and overdimensional cargoes for the aerospace, military, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, energy, and forest products industries.
Over the past decade, the Port has invested more than $150 million in maritime modernization. With more than 60 percent of jobs in Snohomish County linked to trade, this investment supports the community’s economic resilience. These upgrades have strengthened key industries, spurred job creation, and supported workforce development. Part of that work included a $57 million South Terminal Modernization project which added a full-service berth and represented the Port’s commitment to supporting global trade.
Most recently, the Port transformed a former mill site into Norton Terminal, a new 40-acre cargo yard at the heart of the working waterfront. Though it required a multi-million-dollar environmental cleanup, the facility now supports jobs, increases economic resiliency, and diversifies cargo capabilities. Nearby at Pier 3, Seaport tenant Everett Ship Repair shows the working waterfront in action and offers ship service and repair for all types of assets, including state ferries, military vessels, and commercial ships.
Soon, the Seaport will be buzzing with electric yard trucks and will offer shorepower for vessels, reinforcing the Port’s commitment to efficiency and environmental stewardship. The Port is also partnering with Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center and Maritime Institute on a first-of-its-kind high school maritime program in the County, preparing students to graduate as fully credentialed and professionally trained entry-level mariners.
For its wide-ranging efforts, the Port of Everett was named 2024 Port/Terminal Operator of the Year by Heavy Lift and Project Forwarding International – an industry honor for the entire region.
Port of Everett Marina: A Haven for Recreation
Beyond global trade, the Port is a hub for outdoor recreation. Home to the largest public marina on the West Coast, the Port offers 2,300 slips and 5,000 lineal feet of guest moorage. The Port’s Jetty Island offers a natural escape just a short ferry ride away. Its 13-lane boat launch, the largest in the state, is slated for renovation expected next year. New restaurants line the waterfront (with six more coming soon), miles of paved trails invite walkers and cyclists, and a full-service boatyard, haul-out services, and more are all on site.
The Port also hosts nearly 100 waterfront events, with community favorites like Haunted Harbor (the Friday before Halloween) and Holiday on the Bay (the first weekend in December) growing every year.
Over the past two decades, the Port has invested more than $180 million to transform its dockside infrastructure into a premier destination. It has upgraded esplanades with new landscaping, expanded parking, launched popular events like Sail-In Cinema and Music at the Marina, and recently opened a new fuel dock accommodating vessels of all sizes. For midweek cruisers, “Tankful Tuesdays” offer discounted fuel – a welcome perk.
Waterfront Place: A Destination for All
One of the most visible projects for boaters and visitors alike at the Port of Everett is its Waterfront Place development – a community-first vision bringing housing, restaurants, office, waterside retail, public space, and more to the waterfront. Waterfront Place is already marking 1.6 million site visits per year and is only in the second stage of development.
After an extensive and multi-million-dollar environmental cleanup, the Port has built new infrastructure, roads, walkways, restaurants, boating amenities, parks, plazas, and public spaces. This infrastructure investment has unlocked more than $350 million in private investment by way of housing and hospitality. Further, the Port is working with private development partner Lincoln Properties to keep the momentum going. Lincoln is expected to break ground on 300 housing units and ground floor retail in December 2025 and is pre-leasing for 120,000 square feet of Class-A office space.
The Port anticipates rolling grand openings for six new restaurants later this year and into early 2026 on Restaurant Row in Fisherman’s Harbor.
It recently announced Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina as the newest addition to the lineup that also includes Rustic Cork Wine Bar, Tapped Public House, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, and The Ned Shed (a fresh fish market and fish-and-chips bar).
But Waterfront Place is more than just a large-scale real estate venture. At full buildout, Waterfront Place is expected to support 2,100 family-wage jobs. The project’s expected $1 billion in public/private development investment will generate $8.6 million annually in state and local sales taxes in addition to the temporary construction jobs, sales tax and building permit revenues. The project has the potential to shape the way thousands of Snohomish County residents work, play, and stay.
A Net Positive for Snohomish County
The Port of Everett’s transformation over the past decade is a clear example of net positives in action. From expanding trade and supporting family-wage jobs to revitalizing shoreside spaces and welcoming new visitors, the Port casts a wide net when it comes to positive impact across Snohomish County.
Visit www.portofeverett.com to learn more.
