Port of Everett Commission Awards $1.54 Million Construction Contract for Bay Wood Shoreline Cleanup, Habitat Restoration

Project to facilitate new public access, return of jobs to the site

Everett, Wash. – On September 15, 2020, the Port of Everett Commission awarded an approximate $1.54 million contract to Strider Construction to complete an interim action shoreline cleanup and habitat restoration project at the former Bay Wood mill site located at 200 West Marine View Drive in Everett. The Port is working in partnership with the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) on the project, which is expected to kick off in October and is anticipated for completion in Spring 2021.

 Ecology, who is funding 90 percent of the project through its grant program, has set the regulatory framework for the work that includes 1,300 linear feet (LF) of shoreline restoration and 2,600 LF of upland buffer restoration and plantings to create new, protected nearshore habitat for salmon and other native wildlife. Additionally, an area of soil contamination in the southern portion of site will be cleaned up, including removal of about 1,000 cubic yards (CY) of contaminated soil stemming from off-site sources. This work is part of the Puget Sound Initiative, Ecology’s effort to emphasize cleanup and habitat restoration along the shores of Puget Sound.

“This is a great project for the environment and the economy,” stated Barry Rogowski, Manager of Ecology’s Headquarters Cleanup Section. “Not only does it restore habitat in the Snohomish River Estuary for salmon and shorebirds, it also creates development and jobs for the local economy.”

Cleanup work prepares the Bay Wood site for an approximate $30 million, light industrial future upland development that will restore jobs to the vacant waterfront site for the first time in nearly 30 years, creating a new job complex to support approximately 300 direct jobs, 1,000 indirect jobs and return the site to the tax rolls, generating an estimated $330,000 a year in state and local taxes. Future plans also bring public access to the site for the first time, with a new nature trail along the cleaned-up shoreline.

“Latitude Development, LLC is excited to partner with the Port of Everett to help bring another site back into productive use for the community while creating jobs, additional tax revenues and giving the community access to its waterfront,” Latitude Development Managing Member Dave Kessler said.

In coordination with the initial shoreline work, and in partnership with the future site development, in the coming years, a following project will deliver public access to the site for the first time in its history with the creation of a new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant, 8-foot wide continuous public nature trail along the entire shoreline frontage, as well as a viewpoint to overlook the new shoreline habitat and Port Gardner Bay. The project provides for 2,600 LF of improved shoreline including removal of invasive species, installing native plantings, and other habitat enhancements.

The now over-steepened western and southern shorelines will be cut back to a gentle, natural slope by removing significant quantities of industrial debris, wood waste, contaminated soil, and clean soil. The newly shaped shoreline and upland buffer will be planted with native plants and secured with large trees to mimic the natural condition.

“This project represents the Port’s triple bottom line, providing economic, environmental and community benefit,” Port Commissioner David Simpson said. “Restoring jobs and tax base with a working waterfront upland redevelopment, supporting the environment through cleanup and shoreline restoration and enhancing the overall quality of life in our community by providing a new waterfront public access opportunity is a win-win-win.”

This property has undergone several historic phases of soil cleanup by the Port that prepares the property for redevelopment. The most significant cleanup of the historical cleanups occurred in the mid-1990s after the Bay Wood mill had vacated the property and involved the removal of nearly 150,000 CY of wood waste. In 2012, the Port and Ecology removed nearly 10,000 CY of contaminated soil from the property.

For more information, contact Catherine Soper, Port of Everett Public Affairs Manager at 425.388.0680 or by e-mail at catherines@portofeverett.com.

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