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  • Port Gardner: Inside Everett’s Second-Oldest Neighborhood and Its Historic Heart

    Port Gardner: Inside Everett’s Second-Oldest Neighborhood and Its Historic Heart

    What is the Port Gardner neighborhood in Everett? Port Gardner is Everett’s second-oldest neighborhood, platted in 1890 by the Rucker brothers as the original 50-acre townsite of the Everett Land Company. Today it stretches from Possession Sound east to the Snohomish River and from Hewitt and Pacific avenues south to 41st Street, anchored by Rucker Hill, downtown’s edge, and some of the most historic homes in the city.

    Port Gardner: Inside Everett’s Second-Oldest Neighborhood and Its Historic Heart

    If Northwest Everett is the city’s historic core, Port Gardner is its first chapter. Before the smokestacks, before the streetcars, before Boeing made “Everett” a name people knew nationwide, the Rucker brothers were standing on a hillside above Port Gardner Bay deciding where the streets should go.

    That decision, made in 1890, is why this neighborhood looks and feels the way it does today — a mix of grand Queen Anne mansions, modest Craftsman bungalows, working-class cottages, and quietly perfect bay views that long-time residents will tell you are the best-kept secret in the city.

    Where Port Gardner Begins and Ends

    The Port Gardner Neighborhood Association draws the boundaries clearly: Port Gardner Bay and Possession Sound to the west, the Snohomish River to the east, 41st Street to the south, and a combination of Hewitt and Pacific avenues to the north. That puts the neighborhood directly south of Northwest Everett and directly west of Bayside, with downtown sitting at its northern edge.

    The bay itself was named in 1794 by Captain George Vancouver for his patron and former commander, Alan Gardner. Vancouver originally meant the name to apply to the entire Saratoga Passage, but over time it narrowed to mean only the water in front of present-day Everett.

    How a 50-Acre Plat Became a Neighborhood

    The first European-American settler on what would become Port Gardner was Dennis Brigham, who left Whidbey Island in 1862, cleared land at the foot of California Avenue, built a small shack, and planted a few apple trees. He had the bay essentially to himself for decades.

    That changed in 1889 when Bethel J. Rucker and his brother Wyatt arrived to scout the area for development. In 1890 the Ruckers filed the 50-acre Port Gardner townsite plat under the Everett Land Company name — the founding act of what would become the city of Everett. Port Gardner’s first homes went up on the streets the Ruckers laid out, and many of those original homes are still standing.

    Rucker Hill, Where the City’s Founders Lived

    The most distinctive feature of Port Gardner is Rucker Hill — a rise above the bay that the Rucker family kept for themselves and their peers. The Rucker Hill Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, occupies the knoll and contains some of the grandest residential architecture in the Pacific Northwest.

    The Rucker Mansion at the top of the hill is the centerpiece. Built in 1905 at a reported cost of $40,000 — an enormous sum at the time — the 13,000-square-foot Federal Revival home contains five fireplaces, a library, a card room, a billiards room, a solarium, a ballroom, six bedrooms, and a separate carriage house. Mahogany and quarter-sawn oak woodwork run through the interior. The home is privately owned today, but the exterior remains visible from the public right-of-way and is a regular stop on Historic Everett’s walking tours.

    The Architecture Walking Tour

    Port Gardner is one of the few neighborhoods in Everett where you can walk a single block and see four or five distinct architectural periods. Historic Everett, the local preservation nonprofit, publishes a self-guided walking tour at historiceverett.org/walkingtour/PortGardner.html that maps the most significant homes.

    What you’ll see on the route:

    • Queen Anne mansions from the 1890s boom, with turrets, wraparound porches, and the kind of ornament that doesn’t get built anymore
    • Craftsman bungalows from the 1910s and 1920s, smaller in scale but with the same care for materials
    • Mid-century cottages infilled into earlier blocks during Everett’s wartime housing crunch
    • Maritime-influenced homes closer to the bluff, designed to capture the view of the bay and the working waterfront below

    What Long-Timers Say About Living Here

    Talk to people who have lived in Port Gardner for twenty or thirty years and a few themes come up over and over. The first is the bluff — almost everyone north of Hewitt has some kind of water view, and on a clear day you can see Whidbey Island, the Olympics, and the working waterfront laid out below you. The second is walkability. Downtown Everett is a short walk to the north. Grand Avenue Park sits inside the neighborhood. The Port of Everett’s marina district — Boxcar Park, the new Fisherman’s Harbor restaurants, Jetty Landing — is a flat fifteen-minute walk down the hill.

    The third thing long-timers mention is community. The Port Gardner Neighborhood Association is one of the more active associations in the city, and the neighborhood’s residential stability — many homes have stayed in the same family for generations — gives the place a settled, taken-care-of feeling that newer Everett neighborhoods are still working toward.

    Getting Involved

    The Port Gardner Neighborhood Association meets regularly and welcomes new residents. Meeting schedules are posted at the association’s website, portgardnereverett.com, and on the City of Everett’s neighborhood page at everettwa.gov/334. New residents who want to get oriented quickly can also walk the Historic Everett tour route on a Saturday morning — it’s the fastest way to learn which house is which and why each one matters.

    Why Port Gardner Matters Today

    Port Gardner isn’t the flashiest neighborhood in Everett. It doesn’t have the new construction of the waterfront, the dining scene of downtown, or the schools-and-parks family appeal of Boulevard Bluffs or View Ridge. What it has is the original story. Every other Everett neighborhood — Northwest, Bayside, Riverside, Delta, Lowell — was platted later, settled later, built up later. Port Gardner is the room the rest of the house was added onto.

    That history isn’t just a plaque on a wall. It’s the streetscape. It’s the bluff. It’s the mansion at the top of the hill and the cottage at the bottom and the bay that gave the whole thing its name. In a city that sometimes forgets its own founding, Port Gardner is the part of Everett that still remembers.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How old is the Port Gardner neighborhood?

    The 50-acre Port Gardner townsite was platted in 1890 by the Rucker brothers under the Everett Land Company name, making it the second-oldest neighborhood in Everett after the original Northwest section.

    Where is Rucker Hill?

    Rucker Hill is a knoll in the western part of the Port Gardner neighborhood, above Port Gardner Bay. The Rucker Hill Historic District on the hill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

    Can you tour the Rucker Mansion?

    The Rucker Mansion is a private residence and is not open for interior tours. The exterior is visible from public streets and is a featured stop on Historic Everett’s self-guided Port Gardner walking tour.

    What are Port Gardner’s boundaries?

    Port Gardner Bay and Possession Sound on the west, the Snohomish River on the east, 41st Street on the south, and a combination of Hewitt Avenue and Pacific Avenue on the north.

    Is there a Port Gardner Neighborhood Association?

    Yes. The Port Gardner Neighborhood Association represents residents and meets regularly. Schedules and contact information are posted at portgardnereverett.com and on the City of Everett’s neighborhood associations page at everettwa.gov/334.

    Who was Port Gardner Bay named after?

    Captain George Vancouver named the bay in 1794 for his patron and former commander, Alan Gardner. Vancouver originally intended the name to apply to all of Saratoga Passage, but it eventually narrowed to refer only to the bay near present-day Everett.

    How does Port Gardner compare to Northwest Everett?

    Both are historic neighborhoods with strong walking-tour stock, but Port Gardner is anchored by Rucker Hill and the bluff above the bay, while Northwest Everett is anchored by the original commercial-residential core north of 19th Street. The two neighborhoods sit side by side and share a National Register-rich architectural inventory.

    📚 The Exploring Everett Knowledge Cluster

    For deeper coverage of this story:

  • Canned Heat and Big Brother and the Holding Company Land at the Historic Everett Theatre May 29 — Two Bands That Played the Original Woodstock, on One Stage in Downtown Everett

    Canned Heat and Big Brother and the Holding Company Land at the Historic Everett Theatre May 29 — Two Bands That Played the Original Woodstock, on One Stage in Downtown Everett


    Q: When and where can I see Canned Heat and Big Brother and the Holding Company in Everett?

    Friday, May 29, 2026 at the Historic Everett Theatre (2911 Colby Ave). Doors open at 6:00 PM, show at 7:00 PM. General Admission $65, Senior/Military $60, Family Pack (3+ tickets) $55 each. Tickets and the official listing are at events.theatreconcertconsulting.com.

    If you have ever wished you could have been at Max Yasgur’s farm in August 1969, the Historic Everett Theatre is doing the next best thing this spring. On Friday, May 29, 2026, two of the original Woodstock bands — Canned Heat and Big Brother and the Holding Company — are sharing one downtown Everett stage for a single night, in a venue that has been hosting live music in this town since five years before the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk.

    The official ask from the box office is delightful: “Dress up in your favorite 60’s hippie gear.” The official price tag on the marquee event is reasonable: $65 General Admission, $60 Senior/Military, $55 Family Pack when you buy three or more. And the official venue is a 1901 opera house at 2911 Colby Avenue, two blocks off Hewitt, that has been quietly building one of the most interesting tribute and heritage-act calendars on the I-5 corridor.

    This is one to clear the calendar for. Here is everything you need to know.

    The Show: Two Headliners, One Night, Doors at 6

    According to the official Historic Everett Theatre listing for the event, here are the confirmed details:

    • Date: Friday, May 29, 2026
    • Doors: 6:00 PM
    • Show: 7:00 PM (event ends approximately 10:30 PM per the venue’s posted end time)
    • Venue: The Historic Everett Theatre, 2911 Colby Ave, Everett, WA 98201
    • General Admission: $65
    • Senior / Military: $60
    • Family Pack: $55 per ticket when buying 3 or more
    • Box office / tickets: events.theatreconcertconsulting.com (the official ticketing site for the venue)

    This is a co-headlining bill. Both bands are listed equally on the venue’s marquee, both are playing full sets, and both are being marketed as a tribute to Woodstock-era rock. The “Relive Woodstock 1969” subtitle is the venue’s own framing.

    The HeraldNet entertainment desk also flagged the show in their April 22, 2026 weekly preview, which is how a lot of folks in Snohomish County first heard about it. If you missed that one in the paper, this is your second look.

    Who Is Canned Heat in 2026?

    Canned Heat formed in Los Angeles in 1966 — roughly six decades ago, depending on which day you count from. They are not a tribute band. They are the band, with original member Adolfo “Fito” de la Parra still anchoring the kit as drummer, bandleader, and unofficial historian of the project. Per the band’s official bio published on the venue’s event page, the current touring lineup is:

    • Fito de la Parra — drums, bandleader (in his 58th year with the group)
    • Dale Spalding — vocals, harmonica, guitar (18-year tenure as of 2026; coming out of New Orleans, with a deep blues résumé)
    • Rick Reed — bass (joined four years ago after stints with Paul Butterfield, John Mayall, and the Chicago Blues Reunion)
    • Jimmy Vivino — lead guitar and vocals (best known for his 28-year run as guitarist, arranger, and music director for Late Night with Conan O’Brien; before that, a 20-year career playing with Al Kooper, Charlie Musselwhite, Michael McDonald, and many others)

    The catalog they are pulling from is genuinely iconic. Per the band’s official biography, their three signature worldwide hits are “On The Road Again,” “Going Up The Country,” and “Let’s Work Together.” They played the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. They headlined the original Woodstock in 1969 — Canned Heat’s set notes from setlist.fm and the Woodstock archives confirm they took the stage Saturday, August 16, 1969 around 7:30 PM at sunset, ripping through “Going Up the Country” and closing with “On the Road Again” as the encore.

    What makes this stop interesting beyond the catalog: in 2024, Canned Heat released “Finyl Vinyl,” their first studio album in fifteen years. The venue’s listing notes the record put the band back on charts around the world and got named to multiple Top 10 Blues Albums of the Year lists. So when they hit the stage at Everett, they are not just running through the hits. There is a reason to bring fresh ears.

    Who Is Big Brother and the Holding Company in 2026?

    Big Brother and the Holding Company is the band that, more than any other, you associate with Janis Joplin’s voice cutting through the late 1960s. They wrote and recorded “Piece of My Heart,” “Summertime” (the Gershwin standard, reimagined as a haunted blues), “Ball and Chain,” and “Bye Bye Baby” — songs that defined a moment. They were Janis’s band. They played Monterey Pop. They played Woodstock. They were the hinge between San Francisco psychedelia and stadium rock.

    The band has continued touring since reforming in 1987. Per their official bbhc.com bio and the venue’s event listing, the current lineup centers on two original members: drummer/songwriter David Getz and bassist/songwriter Peter Albin — both of whom were on the records, both of whom were on the Monterey and Woodstock stages. They are joined on this run by Darby Gould on lead vocals (formerly of Jefferson Starship; she handles the Janis catalog, including “Piece of My Heart,” “Summertime,” “Down On Me,” “Ball and Chain,” “Me and Bobby McGee,” and “Mercedes Benz”) and Tom Finch on guitar.

    The venue’s listing for May 29 calls them “the original architects” of the songs and notes that the band continues to introduce new material alongside the catalog. That is the right framing. This is not a tribute act. This is the band — with the original rhythm section — performing songs they wrote.

    About the Venue: A 1901 Opera House Hosting Woodstock-Era Legends

    The Historic Everett Theatre opened on November 4, 1901 as the Everett Opera House. Per the venue’s history page and Cinema Treasures, it was originally designed to seat 1,200 — about a sixth of Everett’s entire population at the time. The building faces 70 feet along Colby Avenue near the intersection with Hewitt and fills a trapezoidal lot 119 feet deep. In its first decades it hosted Lillian Russell, Al Jolson, Eddie Foy and the Seven Little Foys, and George M. Cohan. A 1923 fire gutted the interior. The theatre was rebuilt and reopened in 1924 as the New Everett Theatre.

    Today the venue’s working capacity is approximately 800. It is one of the longest-continuously-operating performing arts venues in Washington State, and its 125-year heritage is exactly the kind of room a Canned Heat set was made for: hardwood floors, a real stage, a real audience, no festival mud.

    Address: 2911 Colby Ave, Everett, WA 98201. Two blocks off Hewitt Avenue. Walking distance to most of downtown.

    Should You Go? Yes. Here Is the Honest Take.

    This is a curated recommendation, not a press release. There are three reasons this show is worth clearing your Friday for:

    1. The age math is real. Fito de la Parra is in his 58th year with Canned Heat. David Getz and Peter Albin have been playing these songs since they wrote them. Co-headlining tours of bands of this vintage do not come through Everett every year. Most folks who want to see a Woodstock-era band live at this point are buying a Las Vegas residency ticket and a flight. This is a $65 ticket eight blocks from the Funko HQ.

    2. The venue is the right size. The Historic Everett Theatre’s ~800-seat configuration means you will actually hear the band, see the band, and feel the room. Canned Heat at a stadium amphitheater is a different experience than Canned Heat in an 1,200-original-seat opera house. Pick the room.

    3. The pricing is not a gimmick. General Admission at $65 with a Senior/Military rate of $60 and a Family Pack rate of $55 (when buying 3+) is fair-market for a co-headlining heritage-act bill. Ticketmaster resale on this kind of pairing tends to land north of $100. Buy direct from the venue and you are getting the real number.

    The room is going to lean older — many of the people in attendance are going to have first-hand memories of these songs on the radio in 1969. Bring earplugs anyway. Canned Heat’s current live mix is loud the way it is supposed to be loud.

    The “Dress Up in Your 60’s Hippie Gear” Thing

    The venue’s official event listing — including their meta description — leads with the line “DRESS UP IN YOUR FAVORITE 60’S HIPPIE GEAR.” This is not optional flair on the marketing; it is the actual ask. Everett does not get a lot of theme nights at this scale. If you have a fringed vest in the closet, this is its night.

    If you don’t, downtown Everett’s vintage shops on Hewitt have you covered. Bell-bottoms, a tie-dye, a headband, you are good to go.

    How to Buy Tickets

    Tickets are sold through the official venue ticketing site at events.theatreconcertconsulting.com under the Canned Heat with Big Brother and the Holding Company event listing. The three available ticket types as of publication:

    • General Admission — $65
    • General Admission Senior/Military — $60
    • Family Pack (3+ tickets) — $55 per ticket

    A small ticketing fee is added at checkout, per the venue’s standard. Do not buy resale; buy direct from the venue’s Tickible-powered store.

    The Bigger Picture: The Historic Everett Theatre’s Spring 2026 Calendar

    The Canned Heat / Big Brother bill is the headliner of a May calendar that has been quietly stacking up. The same week, the Historic Everett Theatre is also presenting:

    • May 1 — Red Karma (Taylor Swift Tribute)
    • May 8 — Richard Marx (After Hours Tour, Friday, the show we already covered separately)
    • May 9 — Corduroy: The Pearl Jam Experience
    • May 16 — Dana Gould (stand-up comedy, presented by Everett Comedy Night)

    For a 1901 opera house running 800-seat shows, that is a serious month. Canned Heat closes it out the night before Memorial Day weekend.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is this a tribute band or the original Canned Heat?

    This is the original Canned Heat. Drummer and bandleader Adolfo “Fito” de la Parra has been with the band since 1968 and is in his 58th year as of 2026. The current lineup also includes Dale Spalding (vocals/harmonica/guitar), Rick Reed (bass), and Jimmy Vivino (lead guitar — formerly the music director for Late Night with Conan O’Brien). Per the band’s official bio published on the venue’s listing, this is the touring lineup.

    Is this a tribute band or the original Big Brother and the Holding Company?

    This is the original Big Brother and the Holding Company, with original members David Getz on drums and Peter Albin on bass — both of whom played on the Janis Joplin–era records, the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, and the 1969 Woodstock Festival. Lead vocals on this tour are handled by Darby Gould (formerly of Jefferson Starship), who covers the Janis catalog. Tom Finch is on guitar.

    What time does the show start?

    Doors open at 6:00 PM. Show starts at 7:00 PM. The venue’s posted end time is approximately 10:30 PM.

    Where is the Historic Everett Theatre?

    2911 Colby Avenue, Everett, WA 98201. Two blocks west of Hewitt Avenue, in the heart of downtown Everett.

    How much are tickets?

    General Admission is $65. Senior/Military is $60. Family Pack (when buying 3 or more tickets in one order) is $55 per ticket. A small ticketing fee is added at checkout.

    Is there assigned seating?

    The venue’s listing offers General Admission tickets for this event, meaning seating is first-come, first-served within the 800-capacity room. Arriving close to doors at 6:00 PM is recommended for sight lines.

    What should I wear?

    The venue’s official event listing requests that attendees “dress up in your favorite 60’s hippie gear.” This is encouraged but not enforced. Tie-dye, fringe, bell-bottoms, headbands, and 1960s-era denim all welcome.

    Will Canned Heat play “On The Road Again” and “Going Up The Country”?

    The band’s current set list pulls from their full catalog of three worldwide hits — “On The Road Again,” “Going Up The Country,” and “Let’s Work Together” — alongside material from their 2024 album Finyl Vinyl, which was their first studio release in fifteen years and earned multiple Top 10 Blues Albums of the Year placements. Specific setlist for the Everett date has not been published in advance.

    Will Big Brother and the Holding Company play the Janis Joplin–era songs?

    Yes. Per the band’s official bio, lead vocalist Darby Gould performs the Janis catalog including “Piece of My Heart,” “Summertime,” “Ball and Chain,” “Down On Me,” “Me and Bobby McGee,” and “Mercedes Benz.” The venue’s listing specifically names “Piece of My Heart,” “Summertime,” “Ball and Chain,” and “Bye Bye Baby” as part of the show.

    Is the Historic Everett Theatre accessible?

    The Historic Everett Theatre is a 1901-built opera house with 1924 reconstruction. For specific accessibility questions including ADA seating and accessible entrances, contact the venue directly via the box office number listed on theeveretttheatre.org.

    Are food and drinks available at the venue?

    Concession options at the Historic Everett Theatre vary by event. Check the venue’s FAQ at theatreconcertconsulting.com/frequently-asked-questions for current concession details.

    Bottom Line

    Two of the bands that defined the late-1960s American rock canon — both with original members on stage, both with current studio material to back the catalog — are co-headlining one night at a 1901 opera house in downtown Everett for $65 a ticket on Friday, May 29. This is the kind of show Everett used to drive to Seattle to see. On May 29, Seattle is going to be driving here.

    Get the tickets. Wear the fringe. Show up at 6.

  • Everett’s $10.6M Stadium Design Vote Is Wednesday: What April 29 Means for the AquaSox and USL Soccer’s Future Here

    Everett’s $10.6M Stadium Design Vote Is Wednesday: What April 29 Means for the AquaSox and USL Soccer’s Future Here

    What’s at stake: On Wednesday, April 29 at 12:30 PM, Everett City Council will vote on whether to approve another $10.6 million for the downtown Outdoor Event Center — the future home of the AquaSox and two new United Soccer League teams (men’s and women’s). The vote covers $5.6M for property acquisition and $4.8M in contractor amendments. If approved, design hits 100% complete and the path opens toward a possible August project go-ahead vote, ground-breaking in September, and a late-2027 opening. If it doesn’t pass cleanly, the timeline starts to wobble.

    If you care about the AquaSox staying in Everett — and the city’s two incoming USL professional soccer teams actually having a place to play — Wednesday afternoon’s council vote matters more than any single game on the schedule this spring.

    Everett City Council is set to vote April 29 on a package of four items tied to the future Outdoor Event Center: an additional $10.6 million in spending, contract amendments with four project contractors worth $4.8 million, acceptance of a $7.4 million state Department of Commerce grant, and the addition of one more land parcel to the project’s acquisition list.

    The fan-perspective version of all that procedural language: Everett is one council vote away from finishing the design phase of a stadium that determines whether minor-league baseball stays here and whether professional soccer ever gets here at all.

    What the $10.6 Million Actually Buys

    The breakdown, per City of Everett project documents and reporting from the Snohomish County Tribune and HeraldNet:

    About $5.6 million is allocated to the costs of acquiring the properties needed to clear the stadium block — bounded by Hewitt Avenue, Pacific Avenue, Broadway, and the railroad tracks, one block east of Angel of the Winds Arena.

    About $4.8 million is for contract amendments with the four firms working on stadium design and pre-construction.

    The funding mechanism is an interfund loan — Everett borrows the money from its own general fund balance, then issues municipal bond debt to repay the loan. Long-term bonds backed against city tax revenues handle repayment. This is a way to move quickly on cash flow without holding up design while waiting for outside grants and bond markets.

    Counting earlier spending, the city has already invested about $7.2 million in capital funds into the project since site selection in late 2024. That money has gone toward environmental studies, conceptual design, and putting properties under purchase-and-sale agreements.

    The Real Number You Should Know

    The total project cost is now estimated at $120 million, up from the $82 million estimate the city used when it asked for $4.8 million in funding back in June 2025.

    The funding stack so far: roughly $17 million committed by the AquaSox and incoming USL ownership groups in exchange for 30-year leases (with operations and maintenance handled on-site and ticket and parking revenue shared with the city); $30+ million from other bonds repaid through lease and ticket revenue; and roughly 21% of the funding pie that, as of last week’s council presentation, is not yet identified.

    That 21% gap is the one to watch. City project staff said they intend to return to council in summer with more financial models, with possible sources including state, regional, and private dollars. “We are pursuing all possible options,” the project representative told the council.

    Why This Matters for the AquaSox

    Major League Baseball changed minor-league facility requirements in 2021. Funko Field, which has been the AquaSox’s home for decades, doesn’t meet the new standards. If Everett doesn’t build a compliant stadium, the AquaSox lose their MLB affiliation. They go away. The economic, cultural, and identity hit to the city would be real.

    Mayor Cassie Franklin has called the project a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” prompted by the league’s facility-standard changes. She framed Everett’s decision to put the stadium downtown — in late 2024 — as the city already making “tangible progress.” Wednesday’s vote keeps that progress moving.

    Why This Matters for USL Soccer

    The Outdoor Event Center is being designed as a true dual-purpose venue: artificial turf, the ability to convert the field between baseball and soccer in the span of a few hours, soccer played on the diamond’s infield, and a retractable mound. The plan calls for hosting two USL teams — a men’s team in either USL Championship or USL League One, and a women’s team in the USL Super League.

    This is why we don’t yet have team names, colors, kits, or a confirmed league level. Without an approved stadium plan, USL won’t finalize franchise placement. Without USL franchise placement, the city can’t fully market what the soccer side will look like. Wednesday’s vote moves the design from 60% complete (where it sits today) to 100% — and that opens the door for the August funding decision and the broader project go-ahead.

    The USL teams won’t be playing in 2026. The current target is a late-2027 opening, which means a 2028 inaugural season at the earliest. But every step on the design timeline is a step closer to seeing professional soccer in Everett.

    The Take

    This stadium project has been criticized — fairly — for cost growth. $82 million in June 2025 to $120 million today is a real escalation, and the 21% unidentified funding share is a legitimate concern.

    But the alternative — losing the AquaSox, losing the chance at USL, leaving the downtown stadium block as a parking lot — is worse. The downtown location is a significantly better long-term play than rebuilding at the existing Funko Field site. The dual-purpose design that makes baseball and soccer both work in one venue is genuinely innovative for a city Everett’s size. And the public-park amenities and walking loop in the design plan turn what could be a single-use box into a downtown asset that serves the city year-round.

    The April 29 vote isn’t the final yes. It’s the vote that lets the project finish its homework before the bigger August decision on the full project. If Everett wants to be a city where minor-league baseball thrives, professional soccer arrives, and the downtown stadium becomes the anchor of a real entertainment district next to Angel of the Winds Arena — Wednesday afternoon matters.

    How to Weigh In

    The City Council meeting is Wednesday, April 29 at 12:30 PM at 3002 Wetmore Avenue. Public comment is part of the council process for items like this. If you have a take — for or against — that’s the room and that’s the meeting where it lands.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the Everett Outdoor Event Center?
    A planned 5,000-seat dual-purpose stadium in downtown Everett that will host the AquaSox baseball team and two new United Soccer League teams (one men’s, one women’s). It also includes an urban park and walking loop.

    When is the city council vote on the additional funding?
    Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 12:30 PM at Everett City Hall (3002 Wetmore Avenue). The council will vote on four items tied to the project.

    How much will the stadium cost in total?
    The current total project cost estimate is $120 million, up from $82 million in June 2025. Property acquisition and business relocation alone is estimated at $35 million.

    When will the stadium open?
    The current project timeline targets construction starting in September 2026 and the stadium opening in late 2027, with a 2028 inaugural USL season at the earliest.

    Will the AquaSox leave Everett if the stadium isn’t built?
    Funko Field doesn’t meet the post-2021 MLB facility standards for affiliated minor-league teams. Without a compliant stadium, the AquaSox would lose their MLB affiliation and likely leave the city.

    What USL teams are coming to Everett?
    The city has agreements in place to host two USL teams — one men’s professional team and one women’s professional team. Specific league level (Championship vs League One for the men, Super League for the women), team names, colors, and ownership branding have not been publicly finalized pending stadium approval.

    Where will the stadium be located?
    On the block bounded by Hewitt Avenue, Pacific Avenue, Broadway, and the railroad tracks — one block east of Angel of the Winds Arena in downtown Everett. The city is acquiring 15 properties on that block to clear the site.

    Who pays for the stadium?
    A combination of city interfund loans repaid by long-term municipal bonds, $17 million committed by the AquaSox and USL teams (in exchange for 30-year leases), state Department of Commerce grants ($7.4 million pending council acceptance), and approximately $25 million still to be identified by July.

  • Silvertips Take Game 1 Over Penticton 4-1: Anders Miller Solid, DuPont and Rudolph Score, Game 2 Saturday at 6:30 PM

    Silvertips Take Game 1 Over Penticton 4-1: Anders Miller Solid, DuPont and Rudolph Score, Game 2 Saturday at 6:30 PM

    Final score: Everett Silvertips 4, Penticton Vees 1. Landon DuPont opened the scoring and added an assist, fourth-line forward Hunter Rudolph buried the third-period dagger, and goaltender Anders Miller stopped 23 of 24 shots as the Tips took Game 1 of the WHL Western Conference Final at Angel of the Winds Arena on Thursday, April 23. Game 2 is Saturday, April 25 at 6:30 PM PT in Everett before the series shifts to Penticton.

    Everett picked up exactly where it left off in Round 2 — and the WHL’s hottest team is now one of three with a series lead in the conference finals.

    The Everett Silvertips opened the WHL Western Conference Final on Thursday night with a 4-1 win over the Penticton Vees at Angel of the Winds Arena. The win pushed Everett’s playoff record to 8-0 and gave them a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

    How Game 1 Went Down

    The Silvertips set the tone early. Landon DuPont, the 16-year-old phenom defenseman who’s been the postseason’s most quietly dominant player, opened the scoring late in the first period to send Everett into intermission with a 1-0 lead.

    The second period saw Everett extend the lead to 2-0. The Tips kept their defensive structure even as the Vees matched them shot-for-shot — both teams ended the period with 18 shots on goal, an unusually even shot count for a series opener at home.

    Penticton finally broke through early in the third on a goal from Ryden Evers, his seventh of the playoffs, cutting the deficit to 2-1 with most of the period still to play. For about five minutes, the building got quiet. The Vees had momentum.

    And then Hunter Rudolph happened.

    The fourth-line forward — exactly the kind of depth scorer championship teams find a way to get from — restored Everett’s two-goal lead at the 11:28 mark of the third. Kayd Ruedig sealed it with an empty-netter to make the final 4-1.

    Anders Miller Keeps Doing Anders Miller Things

    Goaltender Anders Miller stopped 23 of 24 shots, continuing the playoff run that has put him in WHL postseason record territory. His save percentage through the postseason continues to lead all goalies with nine or more games played, and through eight playoff games Everett’s combined goal differential is sitting in plus-territory that very few WHL teams ever post.

    Miller didn’t have to be miraculous on Thursday — Everett’s structure forced Penticton into low-percentage looks and the puck didn’t sit in dangerous areas for long. But every time the Vees did manufacture a clean chance, Miller swallowed it. That’s the version of Anders Miller that Everett needs four more times.

    What Game 1 Tells Us About This Series

    Three things stood out from Thursday night.

    First, DuPont is operating at a different level. The 16-year-old led Everett in playoff scoring entering the series and added another goal and assist in Game 1. Watching him retrieve pucks under pressure and make clean breakouts is one of the most fun things in junior hockey right now.

    Second, Everett’s depth is winning games. Hunter Rudolph isn’t on the scouting reports the Vees brought into the series — and that’s exactly the player who scored the back-breaker. Championship teams get goals from fourth-liners. Everett is getting them.

    Third, Penticton is not going away. Don’t let the 4-1 final fool you. The Vees matched Everett’s shot count for two periods, generated chances, and got an early third-period goal that legitimately changed momentum. They were the only team to beat Everett in regulation more than once during the regular season. This is going to be a series.

    Game 2: Saturday Night, 6:30 PM at Angel of the Winds

    Game 2 is Saturday, April 25 at 6:30 PM PT at Angel of the Winds Arena before the series shifts to Penticton’s South Okanagan Events Centre for Games 3 and 4. If Everett wins Saturday and takes a 2-0 lead on the road trip, this thing could go very quickly.

    If you’ve been thinking about getting to a playoff game this spring — Saturday is the one. The WHL Western Conference Final, at home, against the team that pushed Everett harder than anyone in the regular season. Tickets through the Silvertips and Angel of the Winds Arena box offices.

    The puck drops at 6:30 PM. Wear green.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What was the final score of Silvertips Game 1 vs Penticton?
    Everett won 4-1 over the Penticton Vees on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at Angel of the Winds Arena.

    When is Silvertips Game 2 vs Penticton?
    Game 2 is Saturday, April 25 at 6:30 PM PT at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett.

    Who scored for Everett in Game 1?
    Landon DuPont opened the scoring, Hunter Rudolph added the third-period insurance goal, and Kayd Ruedig sealed the win with an empty-netter. DuPont also recorded an assist.

    How did Anders Miller play in Game 1?
    Miller stopped 23 of 24 shots, continuing his record-pace playoff run. He has the highest save percentage of any WHL goaltender with nine or more games played this postseason.

    Where will the rest of the WHL Western Conference Final be played?
    Games 1 and 2 are at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett (April 23 and 25). Games 3 and 4 shift to the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton, BC. Games 5, 6, and 7 (if necessary) alternate back to Everett and Penticton based on series standing.

    What is the Silvertips’ playoff record so far?
    Everett is 8-0 in the 2026 WHL playoffs after winning Game 1 on Thursday, having swept their first two opponents to advance to the Western Conference Final.

    Who is favored in the Silvertips vs Vees series?
    Everett enters as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference after a 117-point regular season — the franchise’s best in 12 years. The Vees were the No. 2 seed. Everett also won the regular-season series 3-1, but Penticton handed them their only regular-season shutout loss.

  • USS Gridley Joins USS Nimitz for Chilean Port Visit on Carrier’s Final Overseas Cruise

    USS Gridley Joins USS Nimitz for Chilean Port Visit on Carrier’s Final Overseas Cruise

    Q: Where is USS Gridley right now and why does it matter to Everett?
    A: USS Gridley (DDG-101), homeported at Naval Station Everett, was moored pier-side at Valparaiso, Chile from April 17 to April 21, 2026, alongside USS Nimitz on the carrier’s final overseas deployment before its 2027 decommissioning. The two ships are circumnavigating South America as part of U.S. 4th Fleet’s Southern Seas 2026, a routine multinational engagement deployment publicly announced by U.S. Southern Command on March 23. Chilean President José Antonio Kast visited Nimitz during the port call.

    USS Gridley Joins USS Nimitz for Chilean Port Visit on Carrier’s Final Overseas Cruise

    One of Naval Station Everett’s five Arleigh Burke-class destroyers spent four days last week pier-side in Valparaiso, Chile, accompanying an aircraft carrier on what is publicly confirmed to be its last overseas deployment before decommissioning.

    USS Gridley (DDG-101) — homeported in Everett — moored alongside the pier at Valparaiso from April 17 through April 21, 2026, while the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) anchored in Chilean territorial waters nearby. The Navy released the port visit details through its public affairs channels and U.S. Southern Command news pages, including imagery and an on-board visit by Chilean President José Antonio Kast.

    The visit is the second scheduled stop along Southern Seas 2026, the U.S. 4th Fleet deployment that the Navy announced publicly on March 23, 2026. The strike group’s stated mission is partner-nation engagement and circumnavigation of South America en route to the U.S. East Coast. According to Naval Forces Southern Command, Nimitz is heading toward Norfolk, Virginia, where it is scheduled to begin the multi-year inactivation and decommissioning process expected to conclude in 2027.

    For the Everett community, the headline is straightforward: Gridley — a destroyer Snohomish County families have watched come and go for years — is on a deployment of historic significance for the U.S. Navy.

    What Is Southern Seas 2026?

    Southern Seas is a recurring U.S. 4th Fleet deployment that has been conducted in various forms since the 1980s. It is not an exercise in the wartime sense; it is a multinational engagement deployment designed around port visits, passing exercises (PASSEXs) at sea, and ship-rider programs with partner navies in the Caribbean, Latin America, and South America.

    The 2026 iteration officially launched on March 23, 2026, with U.S. Southern Command announcing the deployment of Nimitz and Gridley to the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. According to the announcement, the strike group’s published itinerary includes engagements with at least ten partner navies — among them Ecuador, Chile, and others not yet named publicly — through scheduled port visits and passing exercises along the South American coastline.

    The first published stop of the deployment was a bilateral engagement with the Ecuadorian Navy on April 7 and 8, followed by the Chilean port visit. The Navy has not publicly disclosed the strike group’s remaining itinerary, and we will not speculate on it here.

    Why This Particular Cruise Is Different

    The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) was commissioned in 1975. It is the lead ship of the class that still forms the backbone of the U.S. carrier fleet, and the Navy has publicly stated that Southern Seas 2026 is the carrier’s final operational deployment.

    After Nimitz returns to the East Coast, the ship begins a multi-year decommissioning process that the Navy has publicly projected to conclude in 2027. The defueling of the two A4W reactors and dismantling of the ship is a years-long undertaking; Nimitz’s last underway period before that work begins is, by the Navy’s own account, the deployment Gridley is on right now.

    For Gridley’s crew and their Everett families, that means this deployment is one Naval Station Everett families will tell each other about for years.

    The Chilean Port Visit, As The Navy Described It

    According to Navy and U.S. Southern Command public affairs releases, the April 17–21 stop in Valparaiso included:

    • A bilateral air engagement with the Chilean Air Force preceding arrival
    • A reception aboard Nimitz for senior Chilean government and military leaders
    • An on-board visit from Chilean President José Antonio Kast
    • A passing exercise at sea with the Chilean Navy frigate Capitán Prat after departure

    These details come exclusively from Navy.mil, the U.S. Southern Command news site, and DVIDS — all official public-affairs channels. We do not publish operational details beyond what those channels have released.

    USS Gridley And Naval Station Everett

    USS Gridley (DDG-101) is one of five Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers homeported at Naval Station Everett. The destroyers based in Everett, listed alphabetically, include:

    • USS Gridley (DDG-101)
    • USS Kidd (DDG-100)
    • USS Momsen (DDG-92)
    • USS Ralph Johnson (DDG-114)
    • USS Sampson (DDG-102)

    Naval Station Everett, located at 2000 West Marine View Drive, is the Navy’s most modern major surface-ship base on the West Coast. It is the only major U.S. Navy installation in the Pacific Northwest with a deepwater carrier-capable pier, although Everett does not currently homeport an aircraft carrier.

    The base has been in the public conversation for the past five months because of the Navy’s November 25, 2025 cancellation of the Constellation-class frigate program and the December 19, 2025 announcement of the new FF(X) program based on the Coast Guard’s Legend-class National Security Cutter. Everett was the publicly named planned homeport for the Constellation-class frigates; the FF(X) homeport question remains open. Snohomish County’s Military Affairs Committee, rebooted in February 2026, is working that question with the Washington congressional delegation.

    That work continues. In the meantime, Gridley and the rest of Naval Station Everett’s destroyer fleet do what destroyers do — train, deploy, escort carriers, return home, and start again.

    What This Means For Military Families In Everett

    Deployments are public; the day-to-day rhythm of life around them is not. For families connected to Gridley specifically, the resources at Naval Station Everett are unchanged from any other deployment cycle:

    • Fleet & Family Support Center (FFSC), 425-304-3735 — provides deployment readiness, spouse employment programs (FERP, MySECO, MySTeP), financial counseling, and reintegration support. Walk-in and appointment options at the main Everett location, with satellite hours at Smokey Point.
    • Child & Youth Programs (CYP) — the Child Development Center, Youth Programs, and the School Liaison Office handle continuity of care for children of deployed sailors, including school enrollment and special education advocacy across district lines.
    • USO Northwest — operates a center inside the Sea-Tac International Airport USO and supports homecoming logistics regionally.
    • American Legion Post 6 and the Everett Navy League Council — provide community connection points for families and veterans throughout the deployment cycle.

    None of these resources are new. The point of listing them now is the same point that’s true any time a homeport ship is downrange: the support infrastructure is local, it’s free for eligible families, and the people who staff it are reachable by phone today.

    The Bigger Picture For Everett

    Naval Station Everett’s footprint on Snohomish County is significant. The base employs thousands of military and civilian personnel directly, supports a regional supply-chain ecosystem of contractors, and anchors the demand for off-base housing, schools, healthcare, and local services from Mukilteo to Marysville. Every deployment cycle ripples through that ecosystem.

    The high-profile nature of this particular deployment — Nimitz’s final cruise, a Chilean head-of-state visit, the historical weight of the Nimitz name retiring — gives Gridley’s crew and their families something most homecomings won’t have: a story with national scope.

    When the strike group eventually returns home (Nimitz to Norfolk, Gridley to Everett), the Everett portion of that homecoming will be a Naval Station Everett pier event under standard family-support and base-access procedures. The Navy and base public affairs will release timing publicly when that timing exists. We do not have it now and will not speculate.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is USS Gridley deploying or returning?

    Deploying. Per the Navy’s March 23, 2026 announcement, USS Gridley deployed with USS Nimitz to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility for Southern Seas 2026. The two ships are currently transiting the South American coastline.

    When will USS Gridley return to Everett?

    The Navy has not publicly released a return date. Once the Navy or Naval Station Everett public affairs releases an official homecoming date, the base will publish family information through standard channels.

    Was anyone from Naval Station Everett at the Chilean port visit?

    USS Gridley’s crew was pier-side at Valparaiso April 17–21, 2026. The Navy released the photos publicly through DVIDS. The Navy did not publicly release the names of any individual crewmembers below flag rank, and neither will we.

    Why is this Nimitz’s final deployment?

    USS Nimitz (CVN-68) was commissioned in 1975. The Navy has publicly stated the carrier will be decommissioned in 2027 after this deployment. Nimitz-class carriers are nuclear-powered, and the decommissioning process — including reactor defueling — takes multiple years.

    Does Naval Station Everett homeport an aircraft carrier?

    No. Naval Station Everett has a carrier-capable deepwater pier but does not currently homeport an aircraft carrier. The base homeports five Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and several Coast Guard cutters.

    Where can military families in Everett get deployment support?

    The Naval Station Everett Fleet & Family Support Center is reachable at 425-304-3735. Walk-in and appointment-based services include deployment readiness, spouse employment programs, and financial counseling. Smokey Point has satellite hours.

    What happens to Naval Station Everett if FF(X) doesn’t homeport here?

    That question is unresolved. Snohomish County’s Military Affairs Committee — rebooted on February 23, 2026 — is actively engaging the Washington congressional delegation on FF(X) homeport options. The Navy has not publicly named an FF(X) homeport as of this writing.

    What ships did the Chilean Navy operate alongside Gridley?

    According to Chilean and U.S. Navy public releases, the Chilean Navy frigate Capitán Prat conducted a passing exercise with USS Nimitz and USS Gridley after the Valparaiso port visit. No further joint ship details were released publicly.

    Sources

    • U.S. Navy Press Office: “Chile Welcomes Nimitz Carrier Strike Group” (Navy.mil, April 2026)
    • U.S. Southern Command: “Chile Welcomes Nimitz Carrier Strike Group” (Southcom.mil, April 2026)
    • U.S. 4th Fleet: “U.S. 4th Fleet Announces Southern Seas 2026 Deployment” (March 23, 2026)
    • Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) imagery release
    • U.S. Naval Institute News: USNI Fleet and Marine Tracker, April 20, 2026
    • Stars and Stripes coverage of Chilean president visit, April 20, 2026
    • Naval Station Everett public affairs and CNIC NW base information

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  • Two Years In at Paine Field: ZeroAvia’s Hydrogen-Electric Bet on Everett’s Aerospace Future

    Two Years In at Paine Field: ZeroAvia’s Hydrogen-Electric Bet on Everett’s Aerospace Future

    Q: What is ZeroAvia doing at Paine Field in Everett?
    A: ZeroAvia operates a 136,000-square-foot Propulsion Center of Excellence at Paine Field — its first U.S. manufacturing facility — where it builds electric motors and power electronics for hydrogen-electric aircraft engines. The center opened on April 24, 2024, with then-Governor Jay Inslee, Rep. Rick Larsen, and Rep. Suzan DelBene in attendance. It marks its second anniversary today, and the company is targeting hydrogen-electric powertrains capable of 300-mile flights in 10- to 20-seat aircraft by the end of 2026.

    Two years ago today, on April 24, 2024, a hydrogen-electric aviation startup named ZeroAvia cut the ribbon on its first U.S. manufacturing facility at Paine Field. The 136,000-square-foot Propulsion Center of Excellence was the largest single bet at the time on the idea that the next generation of regional aircraft wouldn’t burn jet fuel.

    Two years later, the building is still here. The bet is still live. And Everett is quietly the most important physical address in North American hydrogen aviation.

    For a city defined by Boeing’s twin-aisle wide bodies and the new 737 MAX North Line ramping up across the airfield, ZeroAvia’s anniversary is the story most aerospace coverage forgets to tell. It is the story of what comes after Boeing — not as a replacement, but as the next layer on top of the supply chain Boeing built. And it is happening on the same airfield, two miles from where the 777X is being prepared for its first production flight.

    What ZeroAvia actually builds

    ZeroAvia’s core technology is a hydrogen-electric powertrain. Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity. That electricity drives high-output electric motors. The motors spin propellers. Water vapor comes out the back instead of CO₂. The energy density of hydrogen — roughly 100 times that of the best lithium-ion batteries — is what makes the math work for regional aircraft, where battery-only designs run out of range long before they run out of seats.

    The Propulsion Center of Excellence at Paine Field is where ZeroAvia builds the electric motors and the power electronics that go inside the powertrain. The facility supports both the company’s own 600kW (ZA600) and 1.8MW-class (ZA2000) propulsion systems and a separate components business that sells motors and inverters to other electric and hybrid aviation programs.

    That second piece matters. It means the Everett facility doesn’t depend on ZeroAvia winning the entire hydrogen aviation market by itself. Every electric aircraft program that needs an aviation-grade motor is a potential customer for components built at Paine Field.

    Why Paine Field

    ZeroAvia chose Paine Field as its U.S. R&D site in January 2022 and broke ground on the manufacturing expansion the following year. The reasons it picked Everett look familiar to anyone who has watched aerospace site selection in Snohomish County:

    The supply chain. Snohomish County is home to more than 1,350 aerospace-related business establishments. Composite shops. Precision machining. Test labs. Avionics integrators. Every one of those companies makes ZeroAvia’s job of standing up a new propulsion line easier than it would be in a city without aerospace muscle memory.

    The workforce. The same machinists, engineers, and technicians who build Boeing wide bodies can build hydrogen fuel cell stacks and high-output electric motors. The IAM 751 Machinists Institute training pipeline that feeds the 737 North Line is the same pipeline ZeroAvia can recruit from. Aviation-grade manufacturing skills do not have a propulsion bias.

    The airport. Paine Field is one of the few general aviation airports in the country with the runway length, the FAA infrastructure, and the operational tempo to support flight testing of new propulsion systems. ZeroAvia conducts ground testing, hot-fire tests, and component validation work directly on the airfield — adjacent to the manufacturing floor, not flown to a distant test site.

    The state’s leaning in. The Washington State Department of Commerce supported the original site selection with a state grant, citing aerospace cluster development and decarbonization as joint policy goals. The bipartisan congressional delegation showed up for the ribbon cutting in 2024 — Rep. Larsen, who represents Paine Field, and Rep. DelBene, whose district neighbors it.

    What’s actually happening on the ground in 2026

    ZeroAvia’s public roadmap targets a 300-mile range hydrogen-electric powertrain in a 10- to 20-seat aircraft by the end of 2026 — the kind of aircraft that today flies short regional routes on twin-turboprops like the Cessna Caravan or Britten-Norman Islander. The next step on the roadmap is a 700-mile-range, 40- to 80-seat powertrain by 2028, the size class served today by the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 and ATR 42/72.

    If those targets land on time, the Everett facility will be the manufacturing site for the first commercially certified hydrogen-electric propulsion system in U.S. regional aviation. The launch market is not transcontinental airlines. It is the regional carriers, cargo operators, and corporate fleets that fly short hops where the energy density of hydrogen and the simplicity of an electric motor become competitive with a turbine.

    That is a multi-year, certification-gated process. The 2026 timeline is the powertrain target, not a passenger-carrying delivery date. Aircraft integration, supplemental type certification, and operator approval are separate gates that follow. But the manufacturing capability that has to exist before any of that happens is the part being built right now, on the floor of the Everett Propulsion Center of Excellence.

    Why this matters for Everett

    Two years in, ZeroAvia at Paine Field represents three things Everett’s aerospace economy historically has not had at scale.

    A second propulsion technology base. For decades, the propulsion expertise on the airfield has been turbofan-and-turboprop. The hydrogen-electric workforce ZeroAvia is building — power electronics engineers, fuel cell technicians, high-voltage motor specialists — is a parallel skillset that did not exist locally before 2024.

    A startup-scale aerospace OEM. Boeing employs roughly 31,000 people in Everett and Snohomish County. ZeroAvia is a fraction of that headcount. But it is one of a small but growing cohort of aerospace startups choosing Paine Field over Mojave or San Diego or Long Beach. Eviation. Joby Aviation’s testing partners. Portal Space Systems in Bothell. Each of those names adds a different cell to the local aerospace lattice.

    A bet on what comes next. Hydrogen-electric flight is unproven at commercial scale. The technical risk is real. The certification path is slow. But the industry consensus — including from Airbus, which has a separate hydrogen aircraft program of its own — is that some version of this technology will be in commercial service by the early-to-mid 2030s. Everett is where the U.S. version of that future is being engineered.

    What the next year looks like

    The end-of-2026 powertrain target is the single biggest near-term milestone on ZeroAvia’s roadmap. Watch for: ground test demonstrations of the integrated 600kW system, FAA engagement on the supplemental type certification path for the launch aircraft platform, and component shipments from Paine Field to the customer airframers integrating ZeroAvia’s powertrain into existing certified airframes.

    For locals, the most visible signal will be hiring. ZeroAvia has not published Everett-specific headcount targets, but the company has indicated it intends to grow its U.S. operations meaningfully as the powertrain moves toward production. Job postings for power electronics engineers, manufacturing technicians, and propulsion test engineers — based at Paine Field — will be the leading indicator.

    Two years ago today, ZeroAvia opened a building. Two years from today, the question is whether the building has produced a powertrain anyone can fly. Everett’s answer to that question matters more than most cities realize.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is ZeroAvia?
    ZeroAvia is a U.S.- and U.K.-based aviation startup developing hydrogen-electric powertrains for regional aircraft. Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity that drives high-output electric motors, with water vapor as the only emission.

    When did ZeroAvia open its Paine Field facility?
    The 136,000-square-foot Propulsion Center of Excellence officially opened on April 24, 2024, with then-Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Rep. Rick Larsen, and Rep. Suzan DelBene in attendance.

    What does ZeroAvia build at Paine Field?
    The facility manufactures electric motors and power electronics for ZeroAvia’s own hydrogen-electric powertrains and for sale as components to other electric and hybrid aviation programs.

    How big is ZeroAvia’s powertrain target for 2026?
    ZeroAvia is targeting a hydrogen-electric powertrain capable of 300-mile range in 10- to 20-seat regional aircraft by the end of 2026. A larger 700-mile, 40- to 80-seat powertrain is targeted for 2028.

    Why did ZeroAvia choose Paine Field?
    Snohomish County’s aerospace supply chain (more than 1,350 aerospace establishments), the local skilled workforce, Paine Field’s runway and FAA infrastructure for propulsion testing, and Washington state economic-development support were all cited factors.

    How does this fit with Boeing’s Everett operations?
    ZeroAvia and Boeing are not direct competitors. ZeroAvia builds hydrogen-electric propulsion for regional aircraft (10–80 seats), while Boeing’s Everett operations focus on commercial wide bodies, the 737 North Line, and the KC-46 tanker. Both depend on the same Snohomish County aerospace workforce and supply chain.

    When could a hydrogen-electric aircraft using ZeroAvia powertrains carry passengers?
    The end-of-2026 target is the powertrain itself, not passenger service. Aircraft integration, supplemental type certification, and operator approval are separate gates. Industry consensus puts commercial hydrogen-electric service in the early-to-mid 2030s timeframe.

    Is ZeroAvia hiring at Paine Field?
    The company has indicated it intends to grow U.S. operations as the powertrain moves toward production. Job postings for power electronics engineers, manufacturing technicians, and propulsion test engineers based at Paine Field are the leading indicator of expansion.

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  • Boeing Reworked All 25 Wiring-Affected 737 MAX Jets — And the Everett North Line Is Still On Schedule

    Boeing Reworked All 25 Wiring-Affected 737 MAX Jets — And the Everett North Line Is Still On Schedule

    Q: Did Boeing fix the 25 Everett-built 737 MAX jets affected by the March wiring issue?
    A: Yes. On Boeing’s April 22, 2026 first-quarter earnings call, CEO Kelly Ortberg confirmed all 25 affected airplanes have been reworked and most have already been delivered to customers. The fix did not change Boeing’s full-year delivery target or the plan to lift 737 MAX production to 47 jets per month this summer, with Everett’s new 737 North Line providing the next layer of capacity to climb from there.

    The wiring scare that paused Boeing 737 MAX deliveries between March 5 and March 11 has officially been put to bed — and Everett is the city that gets the next chapter.

    On Tuesday’s first-quarter earnings call, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told analysts the company has reworked all 25 jets caught up in a machining error that left small scratches on internal wiring, and most of those airframes are already at customer airlines. The full-year delivery goal of at least 500 737s stays on the table. The plan to push 737 MAX production to 47 a month this summer stays on the table. And the long-term ramp to 52 a month — and eventually 63 — still runs straight through Snohomish County, because the new 737 MAX North Line at Boeing’s Everett factory is the production line that unlocks every rate increase above 47.

    For Everett, that’s the headline. The wiring issue was the kind of small-but-real production stumble that has defined Boeing’s 2024 and 2025. The April 22 earnings call was the moment Boeing put a number on the rebound — 143 commercial deliveries in Q1, the company’s best quarter since 2019 — and reaffirmed the production strategy that puts Everett at the center of the recovery.

    What the wiring issue actually was

    In a March 10 statement, Boeing disclosed that routine pre-delivery checks had identified minor wiring damage on a group of 737 MAX airframes awaiting handover. The cause was traced to a machining error inside Boeing’s own facilities — not a supplier — that left small scratches on wire bundles. There was no in-service safety event tied to the issue, and Boeing initiated a delivery pause while engineers scoped the affected fleet.

    Aviation tracking firms recorded a complete halt in 737 MAX deliveries between March 5 and March 11. By the end of March, Boeing had delivered 46 jets, down from 51 in February. Each affected airframe required roughly three days of rework. Boeing leadership initially estimated about 10 planned 737 MAX handovers would slip from the first quarter into the second.

    On the April 22 earnings call, Ortberg closed the loop. The 25 airframes have been reworked. Most have already gone to customers. The remaining few are in the queue. And the broader production system absorbed the disruption without bending the full-year plan.

    Why Everett gets the next chapter

    Renton, Washington is still where Boeing assembles 737s today — three lines, every MAX variant. But Renton is at its capacity ceiling under Boeing’s current production certificate. The next rate above 47 jets a month requires a fourth assembly line, and Boeing has chosen the world’s largest building by volume — its Everett factory — to host it.

    The North Line at Everett is targeted to begin operating in midsummer 2026. It will sit at the north end of the Everett factory floor, replicating the Renton build process with one new wrinkle: a 737 Wing Transport Tool that ferries partially completed wings into Everett for final assembly. The line will be capable of building all 737 MAX variants and is expected to focus first on the 737-8, 737-9, and the largest variant, the 737-10.

    Ortberg confirmed on the earnings call that the 737 MAX 10, the largest and most complex variant in the family, will be produced predominantly at Everett. He also confirmed the line will start at a low initial production rate to demonstrate conformity to the FAA under Boeing’s current production certificate before it ramps up. That sequencing matters: it means the first months of Everett 737 production are about proving the build process to regulators, not flooding the market with new aircraft.

    The Everett rate ladder

    Boeing’s public production rate ladder for the 737 program now reads: hold at 38 a month through April, climb to 42 by midyear, push to 47 during summer, and get above 47 only once Everett’s North Line is operating at conformity. The next published step is 52 a month. Aerospace analysts expect Boeing to target 53 a month in 2026, with longer-term ambitions reaching 63 a month over a multi-year horizon.

    Every step on that ladder above 47 a month is an Everett step. That’s the strategic significance of the North Line. It’s the production line that breaks Boeing out of its Renton-only ceiling and gives the 737 MAX program room to grow into its order book.

    What that means for Everett

    For the 42,000 people who make up the aerospace workforce in Snohomish County, the wiring rework being closed out and the rate ladder staying intact are two pieces of the same story. The hiring ramp continues. Boeing is bringing on more than 100 assemblers a day across its production lines this spring. The 737 Wing Transport Tool is a new piece of the Everett supply chain. The first 737 MAX assembled in Everett will roll out of the building before the end of 2026.

    For Boeing’s customers — Southwest, United, Alaska, Ryanair, and the dozens of other airlines waiting on 737 MAX deliveries — Tuesday’s earnings call signaled that the wiring issue cost about three weeks of throughput, not a quarter. The Q1 number Boeing posted (143 commercial deliveries) was the largest opening quarter the company has had since 2019. For the first time in seven years, Boeing out-delivered Airbus in a single quarter.

    For Snohomish County’s broader economy — the suppliers, the trades, the housing market that depends on aerospace paychecks, the Paine Field commercial terminal that benefits from aerospace business travel — the message from the earnings call was steadiness. Boeing is not lowering guidance. The production ramp is not slipping. And the next phase of growth runs through the Everett factory floor.

    What hasn’t changed

    None of this erases the harder questions still in front of Boeing. The 777X program is still running roughly seven years behind its original schedule, with first delivery to launch customer Lufthansa now targeted for 2027. The 767 commercial freighter line is in its final year before pivoting to KC-46 tanker production only. SPEEA’s contract for Boeing’s engineers and technical workers expires October 6, 2026, and the next round of Wichita-benchmarked negotiations is already on the calendar. The company posted a $7 million net loss in Q1, narrowed sharply from prior quarters but not yet profitable.

    What changed on April 22 is the size of the cushion underneath the 737 program. The wiring issue is closed. The Everett line is on schedule. And the production rate that Boeing’s recovery story depends on is still on track.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How many 737 MAX jets were affected by the March 2026 wiring issue?
    About 25 airframes that were awaiting customer delivery had small scratches on internal wiring caused by a machining error inside Boeing’s own facilities. No in-service safety event was tied to the issue.

    Are all 25 jets fixed?
    Yes. CEO Kelly Ortberg confirmed on Boeing’s April 22, 2026 first-quarter earnings call that all 25 affected airplanes have been reworked, and most have already been delivered to customers.

    Did the wiring rework change Boeing’s 2026 production plan?
    No. Boeing’s full-year 737 delivery target of at least 500 jets remains unchanged, and the plan to ramp 737 MAX production to 47 per month this summer is intact.

    Where does Everett fit into Boeing’s 737 production plan?
    Boeing’s new 737 North Line at the Everett factory is targeted to begin operating in midsummer 2026 at an initial low production rate. It is the line that enables 737 production rates above 47 per month, with the next published target rate of 52 per month and longer-term ambitions reaching 63 per month.

    Which 737 MAX variants will be built at Everett?
    The North Line will be capable of building all 737 MAX variants and will initially focus on the 737-8, 737-9, and 737-10. CEO Kelly Ortberg has said the 737-10, the largest variant, will be produced predominantly at Everett.

    How many planes did Boeing deliver in Q1 2026?
    Boeing delivered 143 commercial aircraft in the first quarter of 2026, its best opening-quarter performance since 2019. For the first time in seven years, Boeing out-delivered Airbus in a single quarter.

    Why is the Everett 737 North Line starting at a low initial rate?
    Boeing has to demonstrate conformity to the FAA under its current production certificate before ramping the new line. Starting at a low initial rate (LRIP) lets the line prove its build process matches Renton’s before scaling.

    What does this mean for Everett-area aerospace workers?
    Boeing is hiring more than 100 assemblers per day across its production lines this spring. The North Line is expected to draw a combination of newly hired workers and existing teammates from Renton, Everett, and Moses Lake. The first 737 MAX assembled in Everett is scheduled to roll out of the factory before the end of 2026.

  • Lazy Boy Brewing Is the South Everett Taproom That Just Got More Important After At Large’s Closure

    Lazy Boy Brewing Is the South Everett Taproom That Just Got More Important After At Large’s Closure

    Quick answer: Lazy Boy Brewing is at 715 100th St SE, Suite A1, Everett, WA 98208 — tucked in the back corner of an industrial complex south of Highway 526. The taproom is inside the brewery itself and pours nine Lazy Boy beers including taproom-only specials. Open Wednesday–Saturday, 3pm–9pm; closed Sunday–Tuesday. Trivia on Thursdays, line dancing once a month on Fridays, live music Saturdays, occasional yoga. With At Large Brewing closed as of March 31, Lazy Boy is now one of the most underrated brewery taprooms left in Everett — and the regulars want to keep it that way.

    The Brewery Hiding in an Industrial Park

    Most people who have driven past 100th Street SE on the way to the Boeing Freeway have never noticed the small Lazy Boy Brewing sign tucked into a multi-tenant industrial building. That’s the whole point. Lazy Boy isn’t a destination brewery in the Cascade district sense — it’s a working brewery with a taproom inside it, and the room itself feels like it. Concrete floor. Steel beams. Tap list on a chalkboard. A few high-tops. A long communal table. The cellar is twenty feet from your stool.

    This is the kind of brewery your friend who used to live in Bend, Oregon will recognize immediately. It’s the kind of brewery the Everett craft beer community has quietly defended for years. And as of April 2026, with At Large Brewing closing its doors at the end of March, Lazy Boy is one of the few Everett breweries left where the operation is small enough that the person pulling your beer probably also helped brew it.

    The Address, Hours, and How to Find It

    Where: 715 100th Street SE, Suite A1, Everett, WA 98208. The complex is set back from the road behind a parking lot. Drive to the back. Suite A1 is in the far corner. The sign is small. Trust the map pin.

    Hours: Wednesday 3pm–9pm, Thursday 3pm–9pm, Friday 3pm–9pm, Saturday 3pm–9pm. Closed Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

    Phone: (425) 423-7700.

    The hours are the part most first-timers get wrong. This is not a Tuesday brewery. This is not a noon brewery. Lazy Boy keeps a working brewer’s schedule — they brew during the day and they open the taproom in the late afternoon. If you show up at 1pm on a Sunday you will be standing in an empty parking lot.

    The Beer: Nine on Tap, Including Taproom-Only Pours

    Lazy Boy keeps a rotating tap list anchored by their flagships and topped up with seasonal and one-off pours that don’t leave the taproom. The flagship lineup runs the standard Pacific Northwest deck: an IPA, a hefeweizen, a Belgian, a porter, plus seasonals that lean toward the brewer’s curiosity rather than chasing a national trend.

    What to order on your first visit:

    • The IPA, on the flagship board. Classic Pacific Northwest hop bill, well-attenuated, drinkable. If you want to know the brewery, start here.
    • The hefeweizen. Banana-and-clove yeast character without the syrupy weight some PNW hefes carry. A great introduction beer for someone who thinks they “don’t like wheat beers.”
    • Whatever the seasonal is. It’s the most likely beer to surprise you and the most likely beer to be gone next month.
    • A taster flight. The taproom serves four-pour flights that get you across the lineup for less than the price of two pints.

    To-go is a real part of the model. Growlers and 32-oz crowlers are available, and they’re priced fairly compared to grabbing four-packs at the grocery store. If you have a friend coming over for dinner Saturday, this is your stop on the way home.

    The Programming Is What Makes Lazy Boy Different

    The thing that distinguishes Lazy Boy from the bigger Everett breweries isn’t the beer. The beer is good. The beer is reliably good. What sets Lazy Boy apart is what they do with the room when there isn’t a brewing shift running.

    • Thursday trivia. The most consistent weeknight programming in the south Everett brewery scene. Teams of four to six. Questions that lean local. The regulars are friendly to newcomers and they will absolutely beat you the first three times you try.
    • Saturday live music. Local acts, mostly acoustic, mostly singer-songwriter-leaning. The room sounds better than you’d expect a concrete-floored industrial space to sound. They keep the volume at a level where you can actually have a conversation.
    • Once-a-month Friday line dancing. This is not a joke. It is exactly what it sounds like. It rotates onto the calendar once a month and the regulars treat it as a real holiday. If you want to see Everett at its weirdest and most committed, find out which Friday and show up.
    • Occasional yoga. Yoga in a brewery is a Pacific Northwest tradition at this point and Lazy Boy runs sessions when the schedule allows.

    None of this is on a glossy event calendar. Most of it lives on the chalkboard at the door and on Lazy Boy’s social feeds. That’s part of the charm — and part of what keeps the taproom feeling like a community room rather than a tourist stop.

    The Crowd

    Lazy Boy on a Thursday evening is the most accurate cross-section of working-age Everett you’ll find anywhere in the city. There are construction guys still in their hoodies. There are nurses off shift. There are couples on a low-key date. There are dads who picked up the kids from soccer and brought them along (yes, the taproom is family-friendly until 8pm, and the line dancing crowd treats kids like part of the show). There are no Boeing engineers performing being craft beer connoisseurs. There are people drinking beer they like in a brewery they like.

    That’s a different vibe than Scuttlebutt’s polished waterfront restaurant model and a different vibe than Sound to Summit’s marina taproom. Both of those are great rooms. Lazy Boy is the third option, and it’s the one that scratches a different itch.

    Why Lazy Boy Matters More After At Large’s Closure

    Everett’s brewery scene took a real hit when At Large Brewing announced its closure and shut down at the end of March 2026 after a multi-year run on Marine View Drive. At Large was the closest thing Everett had to a small, working-class waterfront brewery, and its absence opens a hole that the bigger taprooms can’t quite fill.

    Lazy Boy is the obvious place that fills part of it. Different geography — south Everett, not the waterfront — but the same operational ethos. Small. Working. Owner-operator visible. Beer made by the people serving it. If At Large was your weeknight brewery, Lazy Boy is now the spiritual successor in town. It’s been there the whole time, doing the same thing, on a different street.

    That’s the kind of news the Everett craft beer community quietly absorbs and rallies around. It’s also a quiet plug for everyone who liked having multiple small operators in town: this is when you support them. Show up on a slow Wednesday. Buy the four-pour flight. Take a crowler home. The breweries that survive are the ones whose taprooms still feel busy on the days when nobody else is showing up.

    How to Spend an Evening at Lazy Boy

    • Arrive at 3:30pm. Beat the after-work crowd. The taproom is calmest in the first half-hour after open.
    • Start with a flight. Get the lay of the land. Pick a favorite. Order a pint of the favorite next.
    • Order the seasonal. Don’t leave without trying whatever the brewer has running this month.
    • Bring a friend or three. The communal table is built for it.
    • Take a crowler home. The to-go pricing is fair and your future self will thank you.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Lazy Boy Brewing in Everett?

    Lazy Boy Brewing is at 715 100th St SE, Suite A1, Everett, WA 98208 — in the back corner of an industrial complex south of Highway 526.

    What are Lazy Boy Brewing’s hours?

    Wednesday through Saturday, 3pm to 9pm. The taproom is closed Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

    Can you buy beer to go from Lazy Boy?

    Yes. Growlers and 32-oz crowlers are available to take home, plus kegs. To-go is priced reasonably compared to grocery store four-packs.

    Is Lazy Boy Brewing kid-friendly?

    Yes, until evening hours. The taproom welcomes kids in the early evening; check current policy for the live music nights.

    What kind of beer does Lazy Boy make?

    The flagship lineup includes an IPA, a hefeweizen, a Belgian, a porter, and rotating seasonal and taproom-only specials. Nine beers on tap at any given time.

    Does Lazy Boy serve food?

    Lazy Boy doesn’t run a full kitchen, but they often have food trucks parked outside on Friday and Saturday evenings. You’re also welcome to bring food in or have it delivered.

    What events does Lazy Boy Brewing host?

    Trivia on Thursdays, live music on Saturdays, line dancing once a month on Fridays, and occasional yoga sessions. Programming is announced on Lazy Boy’s social channels and the taproom chalkboard.

    Is Lazy Boy a good alternative to At Large Brewing?

    For Everett locals who lost their favorite small waterfront brewery when At Large closed at the end of March 2026, Lazy Boy is the closest match in operational ethos — small, owner-operator, working brewery with a taproom attached. The geography is different (south Everett, not the waterfront) but the vibe is similar.

  • Casa El Dorado on Casino Road Is the Working Tortilleria Most of Everett Doesn’t Know About

    Casa El Dorado on Casino Road Is the Working Tortilleria Most of Everett Doesn’t Know About

    Quick answer: Casa El Dorado Mexican Handcrafts & Tortillas is at 205 E Casino Rd, Suite B12, Everett, WA 98208 — the same Casino Marketplace strip that holds Birrieria Tijuana and Pho To Liem. They run a working tortilleria where corn and flour tortillas come off the line all day, sold by the kilo to take home or used in the breakfast burritos, tamales, and tacos at the counter. Hours: Monday–Friday, roughly 8:30am–8pm. Phone: (425) 265-1186. The tortillas are the reason to go. Everything else is the reason to stay.

    The Casino Road Tortilleria Most of Everett Doesn’t Know About

    If you live on the Casino Road side of Everett you already know what we’re talking about. If you don’t, here’s the headline: there’s a working tortilla factory inside the Casino Marketplace strip mall at 205 E Casino Rd, and the people running it are quietly the reason a lot of Everett’s best Mexican food tastes the way it does. Casa El Dorado isn’t trying to be discovered by Yelp. It already does just fine. But it deserves to be on every Everett food lover’s short list, and somehow it’s still mostly known to the people who live within a mile of it.

    The strip itself is its own story. Suite B19 is Birrieria Tijuana, the Tijuana-style quesabirria spot we covered earlier this month. Suite B12 is Casa El Dorado. Walk past Birrieria, keep going, and you’ll find a counter, a small dining room, a few tables, and — if you tilt your head right — a glass partition into the back where a tortilla machine is running. That machine is the whole point. That’s why you came.

    The Tortillas Are the Move

    You can buy them by the kilo, fresh and warm, and they will change what you think a tortilla is supposed to taste like if your only frame of reference is the supermarket bag. Corn tortillas come off the line with the right level of pliability — they fold without cracking and they hold a taco filling without dissolving. The flour tortillas are softer and more buttery than what most Everett kitchens use, and they’re the reason a Casa El Dorado breakfast burrito eats differently than a breakfast burrito from anywhere else on Casino Road.

    Pricing is the part that catches first-time visitors off guard. A kilo of fresh tortillas costs less than a single fancy coffee at most downtown shops. Bring cash to make it easier on the front counter, although they take cards.

    Pro tip: if you’re hosting a taco night, call ahead and order them by the kilo for pickup the same day. Don’t try to keep them more than 48 hours. They’re alive in the way fresh bread is alive — they’re meant to be eaten now, not stored.

    What to Order from the Kitchen

    The menu is short, which is the right call. Casa El Dorado isn’t trying to compete with the full-service Mexican restaurants on Evergreen Way. They’re a tortilleria with a kitchen attached, and the kitchen plays to its strength: anything that puts the tortilla front and center.

    • The breakfast burrito. The flour tortilla makes the sandwich. Eggs, potatoes, cheese, your choice of meat. Add their salsa verde. This is your weekend morning order.
    • Tacos al pastor. Two corn tortillas, double-stacked the right way, with the meat and the onion-cilantro topping that doesn’t try to do too much.
    • Tamales. Made on-site, sold individually or by the half-dozen. Get a half-dozen mixed for the week. Reheat them in the oven, not the microwave.
    • Whatever salsa they have on the counter. The salsas are not corporate-balanced for a national palate. They are made for tacos and they are made for tortillas and they will sit you down.

    The Handcrafts Side of the Operation

    The “Mexican Handcrafts” half of the name is real, not decorative. The shop also stocks imported handcrafts — the kind of pottery and hand-painted pieces you’d otherwise have to drive to the international district in Seattle to find. It’s a small selection. It’s not the reason most people go. But if you’ve been looking for an actually-imported piece for a kitchen or a gift, it’s here, and it’s priced fairly.

    Why This Matters for Everett

    Casino Road is the most diverse neighborhood in Everett, full stop. It’s also the part of the city that gets written about least, gets covered most carelessly when it does get written about, and supports a food scene that the rest of Everett’s food media largely ignores. Casa El Dorado is a working immigrant-run business that has been part of that food scene for a long time, and the fact that it doesn’t have a flashy website or a big social presence isn’t a flaw — it’s a feature of how a real neighborhood food economy works.

    The thing we keep saying about Casino Road is true here too: this is some of the best food in Snohomish County, and it’s hiding in plain sight in strip malls because the strip malls were what was affordable in the era when these owners opened their businesses. Casa El Dorado has been making fresh tortillas for years. Birrieria Tijuana opened next door more recently and got the local press attention. Pho To Liem keeps the Vietnamese pho game honest a few doors down. The whole Casino Marketplace plaza is a food hall in disguise. The only thing missing is the name on the door.

    How to Use Casa El Dorado in Your Week

    If you cook at home, here’s the rotation that works:

    • Monday: Pick up a kilo of corn tortillas and a quart of salsa verde. Build tacos from whatever you have in the fridge.
    • Wednesday: Pick up a half-dozen tamales for lunch leftovers through Friday.
    • Saturday morning: Drive over for the breakfast burrito and eat it in the parking lot. Trust us.

    If you don’t cook at home, the tortillas still belong in your life. They make a difference in any sandwich, any wrap, any grain bowl that needs a side. Replacing your supermarket flour tortillas with Casa El Dorado’s flour tortillas is the cheapest and most underrated kitchen upgrade in Everett.

    Practical Notes Before You Go

    • Address: 205 E Casino Rd, Suite B12, Everett, WA 98208 (Casino Marketplace plaza).
    • Hours: Monday–Friday, roughly 8:30am–8pm. Hours can shift seasonally — call ahead on holidays.
    • Phone: (425) 265-1186.
    • Parking: The strip mall lot is free and usually has space. Park toward the south end of the plaza.
    • Cash or card: Both accepted. Cash moves the line faster.
    • Best time to visit: Mid-morning weekday for the tortilla pickup; weekend mornings for the breakfast burrito. Lunch hours fill up with the local regulars and that’s the right vibe.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Casa El Dorado in Everett?

    Casa El Dorado Mexican Handcrafts & Tortillas is at 205 E Casino Rd, Suite B12, Everett, WA 98208, in the Casino Marketplace plaza on Casino Road.

    Can you buy tortillas to take home from Casa El Dorado?

    Yes. Fresh corn and flour tortillas are sold by the kilo at the front counter. They’re made on-site throughout the day.

    What are Casa El Dorado’s hours?

    Monday through Friday, roughly 8:30am to 8pm. Hours can shift on holidays — calling ahead at (425) 265-1186 is recommended.

    Is Casa El Dorado a restaurant or a store?

    Both. It’s a working tortilla factory with a kitchen and small dining counter. They serve breakfast burritos, tacos, tamales, and other handheld Mexican fare made with their own fresh tortillas, and they sell tortillas, salsas, and Mexican handcrafts retail.

    What should you order at Casa El Dorado?

    The breakfast burrito on the flour tortilla is the standout. The tamales are made on-site and sell out fast. The tacos al pastor are a reliable lunch order. And a kilo of fresh tortillas to take home is the best $5 spend on Casino Road.

    Is Casa El Dorado kid-friendly?

    Yes. The dining counter is small but the food is approachable, the staff is friendly, and the tamales are a kid-tested win.

    What other restaurants are in the same strip mall?

    Casino Marketplace at 205 E Casino Rd is also home to Birrieria Tijuana (Suite B19), serving Tijuana-style quesabirria, and Pho To Liem (next door at 209 E Casino Rd) for Vietnamese pho. The whole plaza is a hidden food hall.

  • The Muse Whiskey & Coffee Is the Most One-of-One Café on Everett’s Waterfront

    The Muse Whiskey & Coffee Is the Most One-of-One Café on Everett’s Waterfront

    Quick answer: The Muse Whiskey & Coffee is a coffee shop by day and a whiskey bar by night, tucked inside the historic 1923 Weyerhaeuser Building at 615 Millwright Loop W on Everett’s waterfront. It opened in July 2023 after a multi-year restoration of the timber baron’s old headquarters. Coffee runs Mon–Thu 8am–4pm, Fri–Sun 8am–3:30pm; the bar runs Mon–Thu 5pm–10pm, Fri–Sat 4pm–11pm, Sun 4pm–10pm. The space is the most architecturally significant café in Everett, and it’s not even close.

    Why The Muse Doesn’t Feel Like Anywhere Else in Everett

    We’ve spent enough time in Everett’s coffee scene to tell you most of it lives in a familiar template: ex-Starbucks layout, mid-century chairs, indie roaster bag on display, decent latte. We love that template. But every once in a while you walk into a café and the building itself is the story, and the coffee is just the reason you’re allowed to be inside it. The Muse Whiskey & Coffee is that café.

    It lives inside the 1923 Weyerhaeuser Office Building, the timber baron’s three-story headquarters at the foot of Hewitt that sat empty for years while the rest of the waterfront got reborn around it. The Port of Everett, working with the NGMA Group, restored the building and held a ribbon-cutting on July 12, 2023 — a hundred years and change after the doors first opened. The Muse moved into the ground floor and immediately became the one Everett address you can take an out-of-town friend to and just say “wait, watch this” as you push the door open.

    The Address, Hours, and How to Find It

    Where: 615 Millwright Loop W, Everett, WA 98201 — at the south end of Waterfront Place, set back from the marina behind the parking deck.

    Coffee hours: Monday–Thursday 8am–4pm, Friday–Sunday 8am–3:30pm.

    Bar hours: Monday–Thursday 5pm–10pm, Friday–Saturday 4pm–11pm, Sunday 4pm–10pm.

    Phone: (425) 322-4648.

    Parking is the one thing locals get wrong on their first visit. Don’t try to park curbside on Millwright — the loop is narrow and the spaces fill up. Use the big public deck behind the building and walk in from the back. It’s a 30-second walk and the view of the marina from the upper deck is worth the rerouting on its own.

    The Coffee Side: What to Order Before 4pm

    The morning program at The Muse leans careful and grown-up rather than third-wave-experimental. The espresso pulls clean. The drip is held to temperature. The milk steaming is the part most Everett shops still get wrong, and The Muse gets it right — microfoam that actually integrates instead of sitting on top of the cup like a pillow. If you’re a flat white person, this is your room.

    Three orders that work every time:

    • The flat white. Six ounces, double shot, full-fat milk steamed to about 140°F. The most reliable order on the bar.
    • The cortado. If you want the espresso forward but don’t want to fight a 16-ounce latte, this is the move.
    • Drip + a small bite. They keep a small pastry case running. The morning bake doesn’t pretend to be a Parisian patisserie. It just gets the ratio of sugar-to-flake right.

    Bring a laptop on a Wednesday morning and you’ll find a quiet upstairs corner with real chairs, real outlets, and the kind of natural light that makes a Zoom call look professional without effort. It’s better than working from your kitchen and it’s better than working from most of Everett’s other cafés.

    The Whiskey Side: What Happens After 5pm

    This is the part that makes The Muse one-of-one. At 5pm the espresso machine quiets down, the lights dim, and the room transforms into a speakeasy-style whiskey bar with a curated cocktail program, small bites, and what is unambiguously the best whiskey shelf in Snohomish County.

    Reservations are recommended Thursday through Saturday. The bar takes them through the website. Walk-ins are welcome but the bar is not large — figure 25 seats including the high-tops in the back room.

    The cocktail menu rotates seasonally. The standing greats: a smoked old-fashioned that uses a torched cedar plank under the glass cover, a manhattan made with rye that earns its rye, and a house Vesper that’s better than the one you remember from somewhere fancier. They also keep a non-alcoholic cocktail list that doesn’t taste like a juice box, which means The Muse is also one of the few Everett bars where a sober friend is a whole guest, not a logistics problem.

    Monday Prohibition Nights are the move if you want to see what makes The Muse different. First-come, first-served, no reservations, no traditional menu. You sit down, the bartender asks what you like, and you go from there. It’s the closest thing Everett has to the speakeasy experience the building’s architecture is winking at.

    The Building Is Half the Story

    The Weyerhaeuser Office Building is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was designed by Bebb and Gould in 1923 and it’s the only surviving structure of what was once one of the largest sawmill operations on the West Coast. The exterior is brick and terra cotta, the interior is original wood with restored beams, and the staircase up to the second floor is the kind of thing that makes you take a photo whether you wanted to or not.

    Most coffee shops in 100-year-old buildings have removed the building’s personality. The Muse went the other direction — they leaned in, kept the millwork, kept the windows, kept the proportions, and let the new bar program speak the building’s language instead of fighting it.

    Who The Muse Is For

    It’s for anyone in Everett who has a friend visiting from Seattle, Portland, or Vancouver and you want to make a point about what Everett has actually become. It’s for the work-from-home professional who needs a non-residential desk twice a week and is willing to drive to the waterfront for it. It’s for the date-night crowd that wants somewhere distinctive without having to drive to Pike Place. And it’s for the local who has lived here for twenty years and never set foot inside the Weyerhaeuser Building because it sat empty their whole adult life.

    Will you find a faster latte five blocks away at Narrative? Yes. Will you find a more ambitious cocktail program at a hotel bar in Belltown? Sure. The Muse isn’t trying to win on either axis individually. It’s trying to win on the axis where the room and the drink and the hour of the day and the building’s history all add up to one experience you can’t get anywhere else in this county. On that axis, it wins.

    What to Order, in Order

    • Morning: Flat white + the morning bake, upstairs by the windows.
    • Afternoon: Cortado + a notebook, downstairs at a two-top.
    • Evening: Smoked old-fashioned + a small bite, the back room.
    • Special occasion: Monday Prohibition Night, no menu, let the bar drive.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is The Muse Whiskey & Coffee located in Everett?

    The Muse is at 615 Millwright Loop W, Everett, WA 98201, on the ground floor of the historic 1923 Weyerhaeuser Office Building at Waterfront Place.

    What are The Muse’s hours?

    Coffee runs Monday–Thursday 8am–4pm and Friday–Sunday 8am–3:30pm. The bar runs Monday–Thursday 5pm–10pm, Friday–Saturday 4pm–11pm, and Sunday 4pm–10pm.

    Do you need a reservation at The Muse?

    No reservation is needed for coffee service or for walk-in bar seating, but reservations are recommended Thursday–Saturday evenings. Mondays are reservation-free Prohibition Nights.

    Is there parking at The Muse?

    Yes — use the public parking deck directly behind the building. Curbside parking on Millwright Loop is limited.

    When did The Muse open?

    The Muse opened in July 2023 after a multi-year restoration of the Weyerhaeuser Office Building, which itself was completed in 1923 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

    Is The Muse good for working from a laptop?

    Yes. The upstairs has natural light, real outlets, and quiet enough acoustics for a Zoom call. It’s one of Everett’s better remote-work coffee shops if you want a non-residential desk for a few hours.

    What kind of food does The Muse serve?

    Coffee service includes pastries from the morning bake. The evening bar program includes small bites designed to pair with the cocktail and whiskey list. It’s not a full dinner restaurant — plan accordingly.