Port of Edmonds breaks ground for new administration building

Breaking ground on the new Port of Edmonds administration building Monday afternoon (L-R): Commissioners Jay Grant, Steve Johnston, Jim Orvis, Angela Harris and David Preston, and Port Executive Director Bob McChesney. Overseeing the operation, far right, is Port Director of Facilities and Maintenance Brian Menard.

Golden shovels hit the dirt Monday afternoon as the Port of Edmonds held a ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony for its new administration building. “We’re really excited to have a new building that will have our maintenance, our administration and some commercial rental space across the street,” Port Executive Director Bob McChesney told commissioners prior to the groundbreaking.

The two-story, 12,000-square-foot building will house offices and maintenance shops. (Rendering courtesy Port of Edmonds.)

The port’s new 12,000-square-foot headquarters will be located on the east side of Admiral Way, across the street from Anthony’s Home Port restaurant. It will be both salmon-safe and LEED certified, with rooftop solar panels and other green-building features.

Spee West Construction Co. was the successful low bidder for the project — at $7.275 million. With sales tax, the total construction cost is just over $8 million, and work is expected to begin very soon, McChesney said.

The outdated and deteriorating port administration building, located on the west side of Admiral Way, will be demolished. That will create the necessary room for wider walkways, a public plaza, art installations and other amenities that are envisioned in a future portwalk/seawall project. (Read more in our previous story here.)

Construction of the new building is expected to be completed by July 2023.

— Story and photo by Teresa Wippel

  1. Isn’t the outdated and deteriorating existing port admin building on the west side of Admiral Way? Typo? Or am I twisted around?

  2. What role does Michels have in this project? Right now, 8/26/22, there are huge pieces of equipment marked Michels at the construction site. What are they doing?

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