Project Overview
The Port Maritime Center will be a landmark campus on the Tacoma waterfront, home to a new Port of Tacoma business office building and Tacoma Public Schools new Maritime|253 skills center. Maritime|253 will provide opportunities for high school students across Pierce County to develop skills and education leading to a career in the maritime and industrial trades.
The proposed location is on Port-owned property on the east side of the Foss Waterway, just south of the Murray Morgan Bridge (11th Street Bridge), in Tacoma. The Port has been conducting extensive environmental and cultural resource assessments at the site. The Port recognizes the historical and cultural significance of the project area to the Puyallup Tribe of Indians and is committed to continued consultation and coordination with the Tribe.
The Port’s new building will provide office space for about 150 Port and Northwest Seaport Alliance employees and will also include Port Commission meeting chambers. Opportunities to provide public access to the adjacent waterway will be explored through the site master planning process.
The Port and school district are each conducting their own design process, with each organization paying for the construction of their own buildings.
Details
Port business office
The new Port building will provide work space for approximately 150 employees of the Port of Tacoma and The Northwest Seaport Alliance. It will include chambers for Port of Tacoma Commission meetings, as well as some Managing Members meetings of The Northwest Seaport Alliance.
Maritime | 253
Maritime|253 will be a regional skills center for career and technical education. While Tacoma Public Schools will operate Maritime|253, high school students from districts across Pierce County will have the opportunity to enroll in courses and access career-focused programming. Courses will be offered at no cost to students.
Educational focus areas are skilled and technical trades, transportation and logistics, technology and innovation, and sustainability.
Proposed site
The proposed location is on Port-owned property along the east side of the Foss Waterway, across from Downtown Tacoma near the 11th Street Bridge.
Located in the heart of an original spuyaləpabš village site, the Port recognizes the historical and cultural significance of the project area and is committed to continued consultation and coordination with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. Extensive cultural resource testing and environmental protection efforts will continue in order to protect tribal history.
From 1889 until 1951, the Wheeler-Osgood Company operated a door mill on the property.
Timeline
- March 2023: Port of Tacoma and Tacoma Public Schools entered into an Interlocal Agreement to begin the planning process.
- August 2023: TCF Architecture/BNBuilders selected as the design-build team for the project.
- November 2023: Port building programming/design and site master planning begins.
- November 29, 2023: Public open house held at Foss Waterway Seaport.
- December 5, 2023: Online open house/feedback site open.
- March 2024: Phase 1, 30% project design, complete.
- March 2024: Port Commission project review, approval, and direction.
- April 2024: Design-development and site master planning process continues (pending Commission approval in March).
Project news
Public engagement opportunities
We want to hear your feedback to help envision the future of the Maritime Center project!
On-line open house: Visit our online open house to learn about the project and leave your feedback: portmaritimecenter.com
In-person open-house: An open house was held on Nov. 29 at the Foss Waterway Seaport in Tacoma. We anticipate participating in more public events throughout Pierce County in the coming months. Stay up to date on this project, our events, and more by subscribing to the Port e-newsletter.