Tag: Everett Infrastructure

  • Edgewater Bridge Opening: Everett Celebration April 27

    Edgewater Bridge Opening: Everett Celebration April 27

    Edgewater Bridge Grand Opening: The City of Everett is celebrating the completion of the new Edgewater Bridge on Sunday, April 27 at 3:30 PM. The community is invited to walk across the bridge and learn about the project from the engineers and city leaders who built it.

    Everett Is Celebrating the New Edgewater Bridge on April 27 — You’re Invited

    The City of Everett has officially announced the grand opening celebration for the new Edgewater Bridge. The event takes place on Sunday, April 27 at 3:30 PM, and the entire community is welcome to attend.

    Attendees will get to walk across the new bridge, hear remarks from Mayor Cassie Franklin and city leaders, and speak directly with the project team about what went into building it. It’s the kind of local infrastructure moment Everett doesn’t get very often — a brand new bridge connecting neighborhoods, built from the ground up.

    What Is the Edgewater Bridge?

    The Edgewater Bridge is a new City of Everett infrastructure project connecting neighborhoods near the waterfront area. The project was a multi-year effort involving coordination between the City of Everett and the City of Mukilteo. The new structure replaces aging infrastructure and improves pedestrian and vehicle access in the area.

    The April 27 celebration gives Everett residents a chance to be the first to walk across it — and to get the full story of the project from the people who made it happen.

    Event Details

    • Date: Sunday, April 27, 2026
    • Time: 3:30 PM
    • What to expect: Community walk across the bridge, remarks from Mayor Franklin and city officials, project team available to answer questions
    • Cost: Free and open to the public

    Part of Everett’s Bigger Infrastructure Momentum

    The Edgewater Bridge opening comes as Everett is seeing significant infrastructure investment across the city. Mayor Franklin’s 2026 priorities include housing growth, youth safety, and major placemaking updates — and public infrastructure projects like this bridge are central to that vision.

    With the Sound Transit Link Extension moving forward, waterfront development accelerating, and now a brand-new bridge opening, this is an active stretch for Everett’s built environment.

    Frequently Asked Questions: Edgewater Bridge Opening

    When is the Edgewater Bridge opening celebration?

    Sunday, April 27, 2026 at 3:30 PM. The event is free and open to the public.

    What will happen at the Edgewater Bridge celebration?

    The community is invited to walk across the new bridge, hear remarks from Mayor Cassie Franklin and city officials, and talk with the project team about the construction process.

    Who built the Edgewater Bridge?

    The bridge was a City of Everett infrastructure project built in coordination with the City of Mukilteo. Details will be available from the project team at the April 27 event.

  • Everett Downtown Stadium: Inside the $38M Funding Gap

    Everett Downtown Stadium: Inside the $38M Funding Gap

    Where does Everett’s stadium stand right now? As of spring 2026, Everett’s proposed downtown Outdoor Event Center has grown from an $82 million project to a $120 million project — leaving a $38 million funding gap that must be closed before the city council can give final approval. Here’s a plain-language breakdown of where the money comes from, where it doesn’t, and what happens next.

    We’ve been tracking Everett’s proposed downtown stadium since the first conceptual drawings surfaced, and lately the news has gotten more complicated. The price tag climbed from $82 million to $120 million. A $38 million funding gap opened up. City council approval is still pending. And yet Mayor Cassie Franklin is calling it a “once in a generation opportunity” and promising the gap will close.

    So what’s actually going on? Let’s walk through it — all the numbers, all the players, and the honest question of whether this stadium gets built by 2027.

    The Project, Explained

    The Everett Outdoor Event Center — commonly called the downtown stadium — is planned for a downtown block bounded by Hewitt and Pacific Avenues, east of Broadway. The project is designed to be a multi-use venue: it would host Everett AquaSox minor league baseball games, two United Soccer League teams (still in lease negotiations as of spring 2026), and year-round events including concerts and community gatherings.

    The design-build team is DLR Group and Bayley Construction — both well-established in Pacific Northwest stadium and arena work. Design reached 60 percent completion earlier in 2026, and city officials say a full plan and budget will be ready “very soon.”

    The city’s target: get the AquaSox playing there for the April 2027 baseball season. That’s less than 12 months away.

    Where Did the $120 Million Figure Come From?

    The project originally carried an $82 million price tag. That number grew to $120 million for two reasons, according to city special projects manager Scott Pattison:

    • More property acquisitions needed. The city needs to acquire more parcels on the proposed site than originally anticipated. At least 17 businesses currently occupy the proposed footprint, and property acquisition costs have risen.
    • Construction cost inflation. Like virtually every major construction project in the Pacific Northwest since 2022, the stadium’s hard construction costs have increased significantly.

    The $120 million is the current estimate. City officials acknowledge the design isn’t fully complete, which means the final number could still move before council votes.

    Where Is the Money Coming From?

    Here’s the funding stack as it currently stands, based on the city’s own presentation documents:

    • City of Everett bonds: ~$40 million — This is the city’s primary funding vehicle. The bonds would be repaid through stadium revenue: ticket sales, event fees, naming rights, and other stadium income. The city had already planned this piece before the cost increase.
    • State of Washington: ~8% of total (~$9.6M) — The state has committed to contributing, though the exact mechanism and timeline haven’t been finalized.
    • Snohomish County: ~4% (~$4.8M) — The county is in for a contribution as well.
    • Everett AquaSox ownership: ~9% (~$10.8M) — The team’s ownership group is contributing as a condition of occupying the stadium.
    • United Soccer League: ~9% (~$10.8M) — The USL is expected to contribute similarly, pending final lease agreements.

    Add that up: roughly $76 million committed or expected. Against a $120 million budget, that leaves the $38 million gap.

    How Does Everett Plan to Close the Gap?

    This is the central question. City officials and the mayor are pointing to two strategies:

    1. Private Investment

    The city is actively seeking private investors — local and regional business leaders and investors who would put capital into the project. Mayor Franklin’s State of the City address in March 2026 emphasized that Everett needs “new pathways to long-term, sustainable revenue” and positioned the stadium as a catalyst for that investment. City council members have pointed to similar projects on the West Coast where private dollars closed comparable gaps.

    2. Additional Municipal Bonds

    If private investment doesn’t cover the full gap, the city may issue supplemental bonds. This is the less popular option — it puts more city debt on the table — but officials say they’re confident the stadium’s revenue stream can support additional bond service.

    The Everett Chamber of Commerce has publicly supported the project, and the Herald’s editorial board has urged the city to keep pushing on funding. But there’s also real community skepticism: the Snohomish County Tribune has published critical op-eds questioning whether taxpayers should shoulder more of the cost.

    What Has to Happen Before Council Votes?

    Before city council can give final approval to build the stadium, three things need to happen:

    • The $38 million gap must be closed — or at least have a credible, council-approved funding plan.
    • Property purchases must be finalized — Two parcels are under contract as of spring 2026, but none have closed. The city can’t finalize designs without knowing what land it controls.
    • Lease agreements must be signed — The AquaSox and USL lease negotiations are ongoing. The city expects these to wrap within weeks, but “weeks” has been said before.

    Council then needs to vote to approve the project. That vote is the formal green light for construction to begin — and construction needs to start almost immediately if the April 2027 deadline is going to hold.

    What Happens if the Timeline Slips?

    The AquaSox are currently playing at Funko Field. If the new stadium isn’t ready for April 2027, they stay at Funko Field. The USL timeline also slides. The economic activity the city is projecting — “tens of millions of dollars” annually, per Mayor Franklin — gets pushed out by at least a year, probably more.

    For context: the original cost estimate was $82 million. It’s now $120 million. The original target was to open before 2027. We’ll see if that timeline holds.

    Our Take

    We want this stadium built. A multi-use venue in downtown Everett — baseball, soccer, concerts, community events year-round — is exactly the kind of infrastructure that accelerates the momentum we’re seeing at the waterfront and in the downtown core. The location makes sense. The design makes sense. The teams make sense.

    But the funding math needs to close, and close publicly, before this becomes a real project instead of a very expensive set of architectural renderings. The city owes residents a clear, accountable answer to: who is putting in the $38 million, and what happens if they don’t? We’ll be watching every council session until we get it.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How much does the Everett downtown stadium cost?

    As of spring 2026, the estimated cost for the Everett Outdoor Event Center is $120 million, up from an original estimate of approximately $82 million. The increase reflects additional property acquisition needs and construction cost inflation.

    Where is the Everett stadium going to be built?

    The stadium is planned for a downtown Everett block between Hewitt and Pacific Avenues, east of Broadway. At least 17 businesses currently occupy the proposed site and will need to relocate.

    Who is funding the Everett downtown stadium?

    Funding comes from a mix of sources: approximately $40 million in city bonds (repaid by stadium revenue), contributions from the state of Washington, Snohomish County, the Everett AquaSox ownership, and the United Soccer League. A $38 million gap remains to be filled by private investors or additional bonds.

    When will the Everett stadium open?

    The city is targeting an opening for the April 2027 Everett AquaSox baseball season. City council has not yet given final approval to build. Construction would need to begin in 2026 to hit a 2027 opening.

    Who will play in the Everett downtown stadium?

    The stadium is designed for the Everett AquaSox (minor league baseball), two United Soccer League teams, and year-round events including concerts and community events. USL lease negotiations were still ongoing as of spring 2026.

    Who is designing the Everett stadium?

    DLR Group is the architect and Bayley Construction is the design-build contractor for the Everett Outdoor Event Center. Design was approximately 60 percent complete as of early 2026.

    Has Everett city council approved the stadium?

    No. As of spring 2026, city council has not given final approval to build the stadium. Final approval requires closing the funding gap, completing property acquisitions, and finalizing lease agreements with the sports teams.

  • Millwright District Phase 2: 300+ Everett Apartments

    Millwright District Phase 2: 300+ Everett Apartments

    What is the Millwright District? The Millwright District is the 10-acre second and largest phase of the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place mixed-use development. Phase 2 adds 300+ residential units, 60,000+ square feet of retail and restaurant space, and 200,000+ square feet of commercial and office space to Everett’s working waterfront near the downtown core.

    We’ve been watching the Millwright District take shape for years — the cranes, the construction fencing, the slow march of change along the waterfront. And right now, in spring 2026, the second and largest phase of Waterfront Place is officially underway. Private development partner Lincoln Properties is breaking ground on 300+ new residential units at the Millwright District, and when it’s done, the Port of Everett’s 65-acre waterfront transformation will look nothing like what stood here a decade ago.

    Here’s what we know, what’s coming, and why this matters for everyone who lives in or near Everett.

    What Is the Millwright District, Exactly?

    The Millwright District sits within the broader Waterfront Place development — the Port of Everett’s $1 billion-plus effort to transform 65 acres of working waterfront into a mixed-use neighborhood. Phase 1 of Waterfront Place has already delivered: Restaurant Row is now home to Tapped Public House (which opened March 2, 2026, with Snohomish County’s largest open-air rooftop deck), Rustic Cork Wine Bar, The Net Shed Fresh Fish Market & Kitchen, and more tenants arriving this spring.

    Phase 2 — the Millwright District — is a different scale entirely. We’re talking about a full 10-acre neighborhood being built from scratch, right on the waterfront near Everett’s downtown core. The project will deliver:

    • 300+ residential units — waterfront apartment homes on Everett’s marina edge
    • 60,000+ square feet of retail and restaurant space — a full neighborhood commercial district
    • 200,000+ square feet of commercial and office space — bringing employers to the waterfront

    Lincoln Properties, a national developer with a significant Pacific Northwest portfolio, is the Port’s private development partner on this phase. The groundbreaking for the first residential building was targeted for late 2025 into early 2026, with units expected to deliver as the project completes its build-out over the next several years.

    Why Apartments on the Waterfront Are a Big Deal for Everett

    Everett has been trying to bring residents to its downtown and waterfront for years. The Millwright District’s 300+ units represent one of the largest infusions of new residential supply the city has seen in a generation — and the location matters enormously.

    These aren’t apartments tucked behind a strip mall off I-5. They sit within walking distance of the marina, Restaurant Row, the future Waterfront Place hotel properties, and — if things go according to plan — the Sound Transit Everett Link Extension station that will eventually connect the waterfront to Seattle’s light rail network.

    Before Phase 2 breaks ground, the site already has 266 waterfront apartment homes from the first residential component of Waterfront Place. Add 300+ more units from the Millwright District, and you’re looking at nearly 600 waterfront homes where a working industrial port once sat. That’s a genuine neighborhood — with built-in foot traffic to support the retail and restaurant tenants the Port is recruiting.

    The Port Is Still Hunting for a Flagship Dining Tenant

    Alongside the residential groundbreaking, the Port of Everett is actively searching for one more piece of its restaurant puzzle: a high-end steakhouse or experiential dining concept willing to enter a long-term ground lease and build out a custom restaurant building on the final available parcel in the district.

    This is significant because it signals the Port isn’t done curating Waterfront Place’s tenant mix — they want a flagship anchor that can draw diners from across Snohomish County and beyond. The right operator would build their own building on Port land, which is the kind of investment that only happens when a developer believes in a location’s long-term trajectory.

    What the Full Waterfront Place Build-Out Looks Like

    To understand the Millwright District in context, here’s what the complete 65-acre Waterfront Place development delivers when fully built out:

    • 1.5 million square feet of total mixed-use development
    • Two hotels — already in the plan and on site
    • 566+ residential units (266 existing + 300+ Millwright Phase 2)
    • Restaurant Row — multiple dining tenants open or arriving spring 2026
    • Marine services — S3 Maritime opened early 2026 for recreational vessel maintenance
    • Expanded public parking — with a free waterfront shuttle updated for 2026

    The scale is hard to fully appreciate until you drive past it. This is not a small development. This is a new neighborhood being built on top of what used to be working waterfront infrastructure, and the pace has visibly accelerated since 2024.

    What This Means for Everett’s Housing Supply

    Everett’s housing market has been under pressure from demand and constrained supply for years. The latest data shows the median sale price in Everett near $547,000 in early 2026 — even amid some year-over-year softening. Adding 300+ new units to the waterfront won’t solve Everett’s affordability challenge on its own, but it adds meaningful supply in a location where none existed before.

    These will be market-rate waterfront apartments — which means they’ll serve a specific segment of the market. But their arrival matters for the broader supply picture. Everett needs units. The Millwright District is delivering them.

    Our Take

    The Millwright District Phase 2 groundbreaking is the moment Waterfront Place stops being a promise and becomes a neighborhood. Restaurant Row proved the concept works — Tapped Public House is already packing in customers, and more tenants are coming. Now the residential component is arriving at scale, which means the foot traffic, the energy, and the sense of a real waterfront district are all about to intensify.

    We’ll be at the waterfront watching the cranes go up. Follow along with us.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When will the Millwright District apartments be ready?

    Lincoln Properties began the groundbreaking phase for Millwright District residential units in late 2025 into early 2026. The full build-out of the 300+ units will unfold over several years.

    Who is developing the Millwright District?

    Lincoln Properties is the Port of Everett’s private development partner for the Millwright District. The Port retains ownership of the waterfront land.

    How many apartments are in the Millwright District?

    The Millwright District Phase 2 will deliver 300+ residential units. Combined with 266 existing waterfront homes in Phase 1, the full Waterfront Place development will have approximately 566+ waterfront residential units.

    Is Millwright District the same as Waterfront Place?

    The Millwright District is the second and largest phase of the Port of Everett’s broader Waterfront Place development. Waterfront Place is the 65-acre, 1.5-million-square-foot mixed-use project; the Millwright District is its 10-acre Phase 2 component.

    What businesses are already open at Waterfront Place?

    Restaurant Row at Waterfront Place includes Tapped Public House (opened March 2, 2026), Rustic Cork Wine Bar, and The Net Shed Fresh Fish Market & Kitchen. Menchie’s at the Marina and Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina are expected to open spring 2026. S3 Maritime also opened early 2026 for marine services.

    Is there parking at Waterfront Place?

    Yes. The Port of Everett offers two-hour free parking zones and a free waterfront shuttle with expanded service coming spring 2026. The Port published a 2026 Visitor Parking “Insider’s Guide” with full details at portofeverett.com.

    What kind of flagship restaurant is the Port looking for?

    The Port of Everett is seeking a high-end steakhouse or experiential dining concept interested in a long-term ground lease on the final available parcel in the Waterfront Place district. The chosen operator would build their own restaurant building on Port-owned land.


    Go Deeper: We’ve published detailed knowledge nodes expanding on this story for specific Everett audiences:

  • Everett Downtown Stadium Cost: $120M Price Tag & $38M Gap

    Everett Downtown Stadium Cost: $120M Price Tag & $38M Gap

    Q: What is the current cost estimate for the Everett downtown stadium?
    A: As of early 2026, the Everett Outdoor Event Center is estimated to cost $120 million — up $38 million from the previous estimate — with construction now targeted for 2027 and games beginning in 2028.

    We have been following the Everett Outdoor Event Center closely since the city first committed to the concept, and the latest numbers deserve an honest look. Documents shared with city council members in January 2026 and reported publicly in February revealed that the stadium’s estimated cost has grown to $120 million — about $38 million more than the estimate from last May. That is not a rounding error. It is a real funding challenge that the city, the AquaSox, and prospective soccer tenants now have to solve before a shovel goes in the ground.

    Here is where things stand as of April 2026, and what we think matters most about the path forward.

    How Did the Cost Jump by $38 Million?

    The short answer: construction costs have gone up across the board, and the stadium project is not immune. The city’s original financial model anticipated a cost significantly below $120 million, with a planned $40 million in revenue bonds — paid off by the stadium’s own revenue stream — providing the bulk of the funding. State contributions, Snohomish County dollars, and commitments from both the Everett AquaSox and the prospective United Soccer League (USL) teams were also part of the mix.

    That plan still exists. But the new $38 million gap has to be closed before the city council can formally approve the project. City staff are clear about the sequencing: find the funding, finalize the lease agreements with the teams, negotiate the property purchase at the site, and then bring it to council for approval. The council cannot move forward until those three conditions are met.

    The Site and What Gets Built There

    The planned location is downtown Everett, with most of the block between the site boundaries — except the buildings fronting Hewitt Avenue — slated for demolition to clear the footprint. Twenty-eight privately owned parcels make up most of that block, and property acquisition is part of the pre-construction work the city needs to complete.

    The design-build team is DLR Group and Bayley Construction, selected through the city’s Progressive Design-Build (PDB) process. As of early 2026, the design is at roughly 60 percent completion. The full plan and budget — the version that actually goes to council — is expected to be ready soon, with the city’s stated goal of having the stadium ready for baseball by April 2027. Following the funding news, city staff placed the revised construction start in 2027, pushing the opening to 2028 for both baseball and soccer.

    Mayor Franklin’s Take: Momentum and a Funding Plan Coming

    Mayor Cassie Franklin addressed the stadium directly at her March 5, 2026 State of the City address inside the New Everett Theater on Colby Avenue. The speech leaned into the city’s broader momentum — crime reduction, housing growth, annexation plans — with the stadium cited as a symbol of downtown revitalization. On the funding gap, the mayor signaled that a formal funding plan is coming to council soon, with an emphasis on private-public partnership dollars as the preferred first approach.

    The city is working first with private investors — regional businesses and corporations — plus public agencies to find as much non-city funding as possible. If that falls short, additional city bonds are on the table to fill whatever gap remains. The editorial board of the Everett Herald has weighed in supporting the effort to fund the project, and the Everett Chamber of Commerce has issued formal support. There is also community pushback: a piece in the Snohomish County Tribune argued that taxpayer funding for a minor league stadium is not the right use of public dollars. That debate is real, and the council will have to navigate it.

    The AquaSox and USL Dimension

    The stadium is designed to serve both the Everett AquaSox (Minor League Baseball, an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners) and potentially both a men’s and women’s United Soccer League team. The AquaSox currently play at Funko Field at Everett Memorial Stadium, which was built in the 1960s and has aged considerably. A new downtown facility would represent a major upgrade for the franchise and for fans.

    The USL angle is compelling from an economic standpoint: dual-sport use expands the number of event days the facility can generate revenue, which directly improves the financial model underlying the revenue bonds. More event days means stronger debt service coverage, which means the bonds are a safer bet. That is why both sports tenants matter to the funding math, not just the fan experience.

    What We Are Watching

    There are several decision points ahead that will determine whether this stadium actually gets built on the current timeline:

    The council presentation: City staff have committed to presenting a formal funding plan to council soon. That presentation will include how the $38 million gap is proposed to be closed — and whether private investment dollars materialize, or whether additional city bonds are needed.

    Property acquisition: The city needs to negotiate the purchase of 28 privately owned parcels. That process involves appraisals, negotiations, and potentially condemnation proceedings if sellers do not agree on price. Timeline uncertainty here is real.

    Lease agreements: The AquaSox and USL tenants need signed lease agreements before the project can move to council. Those negotiations are ongoing.

    Design completion: The 60 percent design milestone needs to reach 100 percent, with a budget that the city and its design-build team can both commit to. Any further cost escalation at this stage could reopen the funding math again.

    Is This Stadium Still Happening?

    We think the honest answer is: probably yes, but on a compressed timeline with real funding risk. The political will exists — the mayor is behind it, the chamber is behind it, the council has already approved $4.8 million in stadium spending to get to this point. The question is whether the private investment dollars materialize quickly enough to keep the 2027-2028 construction and opening timeline intact.

    If the private funding effort comes up short and the city has to go to additional bonds, that will face a political test with the council and with the public. Everett voters and taxpayers are paying attention. The Herald editorial support helps, but so does the Tribune’s skepticism — it represents a real constituency.

    What we know for certain: the stadium as designed, at $120 million, would be a transformative piece of downtown Everett’s physical fabric. Whether the city can close the gap and break ground in 2027 is the story we will be tracking all year.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How much does the Everett downtown stadium cost?

    The latest estimate as of early 2026 is $120 million — approximately $38 million more than the estimate from May 2025.

    When will the Everett stadium be built?

    City staff have placed construction in 2027, with baseball and soccer games targeted to begin in 2028. The previous goal of opening for April 2027 baseball has been pushed back.

    Who is the design-build team for the Everett stadium?

    DLR Group and Bayley Construction were selected through the city’s Progressive Design-Build process.

    What teams will play in the new Everett stadium?

    The Everett AquaSox (Minor League Baseball, Seattle Mariners affiliate) and potentially both men’s and women’s United Soccer League teams.

    Where will the Everett stadium be built?

    In downtown Everett. Most of a city block — 28 privately owned parcels — will be demolished, except for buildings fronting Hewitt Avenue.

    How will the $38 million funding gap be filled?

    The city plans to seek private investment first (regional businesses and corporations), then public agency contributions. If those fall short, additional city revenue bonds are on the table. A formal funding plan presentation to the city council is forthcoming.

    See also: Everett’s $120M Stadium Gap: What Needs to Happen Before Ground Breaks | What the Stadium Means for Downtown Business Owners | Visitor’s Guide to Everett’s Planned Stadium