Q: What is the Millwright District in Everett?
A: The Millwright District is the 10-acre second and largest phase of the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place development. Built by private development partner Lincoln Property Company (LPC West) under a long-term ground lease with the Port, Phase 2 will deliver 300+ residential units, 60,000+ square feet of retail and restaurant space, and 200,000+ square feet of commercial and office space on Everett’s working waterfront. Construction began in late 2025 with units targeted to deliver starting in 2026.

Millwright District Phase 2: A Complete Guide to Everett’s New Waterfront Neighborhood

Everett’s waterfront has been one of the Pacific Northwest’s most ambitious urban transformation projects for the better part of a decade. Phase 1 of the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place is now delivering — Restaurant Row is open, Tapped Public House debuted in March 2026, and the Net Shed Fish Market has been drawing crowds since December 2025. But the bigger transformation hasn’t started yet.

The Millwright District — Phase 2 of Waterfront Place — is a full 10-acre neighborhood being built from scratch on Everett’s working waterfront. Here is what it is, who’s building it, what will be there, and why it matters for the city.

Scale: What 10 Acres on a Waterfront Actually Means

The Millwright District sits within the Port of Everett’s 65-acre Waterfront Place project, which is the Port’s $1 billion-plus bet on transforming industrial waterfront land into a mixed-use urban neighborhood. Phase 1 — Restaurant Row and its associated retail — delivered the hospitality anchor. Phase 2 is the residential and commercial core.

The program for the Millwright District includes:

• 300+ residential units — waterfront apartment homes on the marina edge
• 60,000+ square feet of retail and restaurant space — a full neighborhood commercial district supporting the residential population and the broader waterfront draw
• 200,000+ square feet of commercial and office space — bringing employers directly to the waterfront, something Everett’s downtown has struggled to do at scale

These aren’t renderings or projections waiting for financing. Lincoln Property Company (LPC West), the Port’s selected private development partner, has an exclusive negotiating agreement and long-term ground lease with the Port. The first residential building’s groundbreaking was targeted for late 2025, and units are expected to begin delivering in 2026.

Who Is Building It and Why That Matters

The Port of Everett selected LPC West — the West Coast operating unit of Lincoln Property Company, one of the largest real estate firms in the United States — through a competitive process in late 2021. Lincoln Properties has a significant Pacific Northwest portfolio; its selection was a signal that the Port was serious about executing Phase 2 at scale with a developer who has the balance sheet and track record to deliver.

The ground lease structure matters for understanding the project’s long-term economics. LPC West leases the land from the Port rather than purchasing it. The Port retains land ownership while the developer builds and operates the improvements. This arrangement generates long-term ground rent revenue for the Port while enabling private capital to fund the construction — a model that protects the public investment while allowing the development to happen faster than the Port could finance it alone.

The Design: History Built Into the Architecture

The Millwright District name reflects the site’s industrial heritage — this area of Everett’s waterfront once supported a booming lumber and shingle mill industry. The design team has embedded that history into the neighborhood’s physical form: architectural elements and street names reference the mill era, and a focal point of the district is a “workman’s clocktower” designed to resemble a smokestack, inspired by the Dey Time Register that mill workers used to punch in and out.

The public realm design includes Timberman Trails — four connecting courtyards — and Champfer Woornerf, a “living street” designed to accommodate events like festivals and pop-up markets. The goal is a neighborhood that functions as a destination, not just a place where people happen to live.

The marina edge location is the defining feature. Residents in the 300+ units will have waterfront access that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the Snohomish County housing market at this scale.

What’s Already There: Phase 1 Sets the Stage

Understanding Phase 2 requires understanding what Phase 1 has already delivered. Restaurant Row at Waterfront Place is now anchored by several tenants:

• Tapped Public House — opened March 2, 2026, with what is claimed to be Snohomish County’s largest open-air rooftop deck
• The Net Shed Fresh Fish Market and Kitchen — open since December 2025, already developing a strong local following for its waterfront fish market and miso-glazed sablefish
• Rustic Cork Wine Bar — established Waterfront Place tenant
• Marina Azul Cocina and Cantina — announced for 2026, bringing elevated Mexican food and 100+ tequilas to Restaurant Row

The food and beverage foundation is solid. Phase 2’s residential population will walk directly to these restaurants — and the commercial and office space in the Millwright District will bring a daytime workforce population that sustains the restaurants beyond weekend tourist traffic.

Connection to the Larger Picture

The Millwright District is one of three major structural changes reshaping Everett’s downtown and waterfront simultaneously. The other two: the proposed $120 million downtown stadium (currently facing a $38 million funding gap) and Sound Transit’s Everett Link Extension (targeting a 2037 Paine Field opening). If all three execute on their timelines, Everett’s waterfront and downtown in 2030 will look nothing like the Everett of 2020.

The Millwright District is the piece with the most secured private capital behind it and the clearest execution path. The stadium and light rail are subject to public funding approvals and political processes. Lincoln Properties’ ground lease is a private commitment with a contractual obligation to perform.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Millwright District

Q: When will the Millwright District apartments be ready to lease?
A: The first residential building’s groundbreaking was targeted for late 2025 into early 2026. Units are expected to begin delivering in 2026, with full build-out over several years as the phased development completes. Watch the Port of Everett’s official communications for specific leasing timelines as they are announced.

Q: Who is Lincoln Property Company?
A: Lincoln Property Company is one of the largest real estate companies in the United States. LPC West is its West Coast operating unit, active in Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho since 2005. The company was selected by the Port of Everett through a competitive RFP process in 2021.

Q: Will there be affordable housing in the Millwright District?
A: The Millwright District is a market-rate development under a private ground lease. Specific affordability requirements, if any, are governed by the terms of the ground lease agreement between LPC West and the Port of Everett. No public affordability set-aside has been announced.

Q: What is the total cost of the Waterfront Place project?
A: The Port of Everett has described Waterfront Place as a $1 billion-plus transformation of 65 acres of working waterfront. The Millwright District represents a significant portion of that investment, with construction funded primarily through private capital from Lincoln Properties under the ground lease structure.

Q: How does the Millwright District connect to the rest of downtown Everett?
A: The waterfront is approximately a 10-15 minute walk from Everett’s downtown core along Grand Avenue and the waterfront trail system. A planned hotel component within Waterfront Place and the potential addition of light rail connectivity via the Sound Transit Everett Link Extension (targeting 2037) would strengthen that connection over time.

Q: What businesses will be in the Millwright District’s retail space?
A: Specific tenants for the 60,000+ square feet of retail and restaurant space have not been publicly announced as of spring 2026. Leasing for the commercial and retail components is expected to be announced as construction progresses. The existing Restaurant Row restaurants at Phase 1 are immediately adjacent to the Millwright District footprint.

Related: Everett’s $120M Stadium Has a $38M Funding Gap: Here’s the Full Breakdown | The Net Shed Fish Market and Kitchen: Three Months In, It’s Worth the Hype | Marina Azul Cocina and Cantina Is Coming to Everett’s Waterfront