Tag: Waterfront Place

  • Port of Everett Food Truck Fridays Are Back for 2026 — Here’s How to Make the Most of Them This Season

    Port of Everett Food Truck Fridays Are Back for 2026 — Here’s How to Make the Most of Them This Season

    Every Friday from May through October, the south marina parking lot at the Port of Everett turns into one of the better lunch options in the city. Food Truck Fridays run 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at Waterfront Place — two hours, rotating trucks, waterfront views, and the kind of lunch break that makes you wonder why you ever eat at your desk.

    If you haven’t been yet this season, or if you’ve heard about it but never made it down, here’s everything you need to know to actually go.

    What Food Truck Fridays Is

    The format is straightforward: a rotating selection of food trucks parks at the Port of Everett’s south marina lot on Jetty Landing, right on the water. Trucks change week to week — some are regulars that appear multiple times through the season, others rotate in for a single Friday. The variety across the season covers a serious range of cuisines, from Pacific Northwest staples to the kind of regional and international cooking that Everett’s food scene has become genuinely good at.

    The Port Waterfront Place context matters here. You’re eating lunch steps from Possession Sound, with Fisherman’s Harbor and Restaurant Row visible from the lot. It’s the same waterfront stretch that added Tapped Public House, Rustic Cork Wine Bar, and Marina Azul to Everett’s dining map — Food Truck Fridays is the accessible, drop-in version of that waterfront dining experience, at food-truck prices.

    The Port’s food truck program has quietly become one of the better-curated in Snohomish County. The trucks that rotate through aren’t just whoever showed up with a permit — the lineup reflects actual thought about what’s worth sending downtown regulars to stand in line for.

    How to Track the Current Truck Lineup

    The schedule rotates weekly, which means there’s no fixed answer to “who’s there this Friday.” The two best places to check before you go:

    • StreetFoodFinder at streetfoodfinder.com/portofeverett — real-time tracking showing which trucks are scheduled and their menus for any given week
    • Best Food Trucks at bestfoodtrucks.com/lots/profile/854 — the Port’s calendar partner, where trucks post their schedules in advance

    Both let you see what’s coming before you make the drive. Check one of these by Thursday afternoon so you’re not making a game-time decision at 11:45 AM with a line forming behind you.

    The Trucks Worth Watching For

    We’ve covered several trucks that rotate through the Everett food truck circuit — a few are worth knowing when they show up on the Port schedule:

    Tabassum — the only Uzbek food truck in the Pacific Northwest, run by a family from Tashkent, serving manti, samsa, and plov that you genuinely cannot find anywhere else in the region. When Tabassum is on the schedule, it’s a reason to make the trip.

    Das Bratmobile — Ferdi and Uschi’s German food truck out of Rheinland-Pfalz, working with Uli’s Famous Sausages to produce the best bratwurst situation in Snohomish County.

    Beyond the regulars, the rotating lineup is genuinely worth checking week to week — it’s one of the better windows into what Everett’s food truck community is actually cooking right now.

    Practical Notes

    When: Every Friday, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM, through October 2026

    Where: Port of Everett Waterfront Place, south marina parking lot (Jetty Landing). The Port’s main waterfront development — if you can see Possession Sound, you’re close.

    Parking: The south marina lot is large. Friday lunch hours fill it up by noon, but arrivals before 11:45 AM typically find easy parking.

    Payment: Each truck handles its own payment — card is accepted by most, but cash is never a bad idea as backup.

    Best approach: Check StreetFoodFinder on Thursday, identify your target truck, arrive by 11:30 AM, eat outside if the weather cooperates. The Port’s waterfront benches and the promenade make this worth doing as a slow lunch rather than a grab-and-go.

    Why This Matters for Everett’s Food Scene

    Everett’s restaurant scene has been on a legitimate run — the waterfront additions, the Hewitt corridor’s international build-out, the breweries, the coffee shops. Food Truck Fridays is the part of that ecosystem that stays accessible regardless of budget or occasion. You don’t need a reservation, you don’t need to commit to a full sit-down meal, and you can cover meaningful ground across different cuisines in a single Friday rotation.

    If you want a weeknight option instead, the Beverly Food Truck Park on Beverly Blvd runs Monday–Saturday evenings with a different rotating lineup. But for the waterfront setting and the Friday lunch ritual, nothing in Snohomish County quite matches what the Port has built here.

    Check the schedule Thursday. Show up at 11:30. Eat something you haven’t tried before. The waterfront will handle the rest.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When are Port of Everett Food Truck Fridays?

    Every Friday from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, from spring through October, at the south marina parking lot at Port of Everett Waterfront Place (Jetty Landing).

    How do I know which trucks will be there this Friday?

    Check StreetFoodFinder (streetfoodfinder.com/portofeverett) or the Best Food Trucks calendar (bestfoodtrucks.com/lots/profile/854) — both are updated weekly with the current rotation.

    Is there parking at Port of Everett Food Truck Fridays?

    Yes, the south marina lot is large. Arriving before noon gives you the best options.

    Do trucks accept cards?

    Most do, but bringing cash as backup is smart. Each truck handles its own payment.

    Is Food Truck Fridays free to attend?

    Yes — no admission fee. You pay only for the food you order from the trucks.

    How does this compare to Beverly Food Truck Park?

    Beverly Food Truck Park on Beverly Blvd runs Monday–Saturday evenings (4–7 PM) and is a great weeknight option. Food Truck Fridays is a Friday lunchtime event at the waterfront. Different schedules, different vibes — both worth knowing.

  • For Visitors Flying Into Paine Field From Portland: A 2026 Everett Weekend Guide for the New June 10 Nonstop

    For Visitors Flying Into Paine Field From Portland: A 2026 Everett Weekend Guide for the New June 10 Nonstop

    If you live in the Portland metro and have been wondering whether Everett, Washington is worth a weekend, June 10, 2026 changes the answer. That’s the day Alaska Airlines resumes daily nonstop service between Portland International (PDX) and Paine Field (PAE) — landing you 25 minutes north of downtown Everett at a small, walk-to-the-gate terminal that bypasses SeaTac entirely. This guide is the Everett itinerary the new route makes practical for the first time.

    Why Paine Field is the right airport for an Everett trip

    Most Pacific Northwest visitors arrive into SeaTac and immediately face a decision: drive 90 minutes north against I-5 traffic, or skip everything north of Seattle entirely. Paine Field changes that calculation. It is a small commercial terminal in Snohomish County that opened in March 2019, operated by Propeller Airports. There is no remote parking shuttle. There is no terminal-to-terminal monorail. You walk from the gate to the curb in roughly the time it takes to clear a single TSA line.

    From the curb, a rideshare to downtown Everett is roughly 25 minutes. To the waterfront — about 30. To the AquaSox stadium at Funko Field — under 30.

    The weekend itinerary the new nonstop makes possible

    Friday evening — Land, drop, and walk to dinner. Land at Paine Field by early evening on Alaska’s daily PDX-PAE nonstop. Drop bags at a downtown Everett hotel, then walk to Hewitt Avenue. The dining stretch on Hewitt has rebuilt itself in 2026 — R Harn Thai opened earlier this year and is the right call for a first-night meal. Order the khao soi.

    Saturday morning — Waterfront and Jetty Island. Drive 10 minutes to the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place — the redeveloped working waterfront with restaurant row, marina access, and the seasonal Jetty Island ferry. Jetty Island is a free 20-minute walk-on ferry to a two-mile sand spit in Possession Sound. Bring a windbreaker even in June.

    Saturday afternoon — Funko HQ and downtown. Funko’s Everett headquarters sits in a converted historic downtown building and is open to visitors. The retail experience is unlike any other corporate flagship in the Pacific Northwest. Combine with a walk through the surrounding gallery district — the Everett Art Walk runs the third Thursday of each month if your trip aligns.

    Saturday evening — AquaSox or Silvertips, in season. The Everett AquaSox play at Funko Field downtown (Mariners High-A affiliate, summer schedule) and the Everett Silvertips play at Angel of the Winds Arena (WHL major junior hockey, fall through spring playoffs). Either is a low-cost, high-energy minor-league experience you cannot reproduce in Portland.

    Sunday — Boeing Future of Flight or a North Cascades day trip. The Boeing Future of Flight aviation museum sits adjacent to Paine Field — convenient to a Sunday departure. For a longer day, Everett is the gateway to Mukilteo, Whidbey Island via the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry, and the western foothills of the North Cascades. None of these are easy out of SeaTac.

    Why this works as a weekend the previous schedule didn’t allow

    Without a PAE-PDX nonstop, the Portland visitor’s only option for an Everett weekend has been to fly into SeaTac and drive 90+ minutes north. The drive eats Friday evening and most of Sunday morning. With the new daily Alaska nonstop, you can land in Everett by 6 PM on Friday and depart by mid-day on Sunday and not lose either bookend to airport time.

    The June 10 launch lands during AquaSox season, before the worst summer Mukilteo ferry queues, and during the most active stretch of the Port of Everett’s outdoor programming.

    Practical details for Portland-area visitors

    • Airport: Seattle Paine Field International Airport (PAE), Everett, WA. Operated by Propeller Airports.
    • Tickets: alaskaair.com
    • Service start: June 10, 2026, daily.
    • Rideshare to downtown Everett: ~25 minutes.
    • Hotels: Downtown Everett options cluster around the Hewitt Avenue corridor and the waterfront.

    Frequently asked questions for visitors

    Is Paine Field a real commercial airport?

    Yes. Seattle Paine Field International Airport (PAE) opened its commercial terminal in March 2019. It is operated by Propeller Airports and serves Alaska Airlines and Avelo Airlines. After the June 10, 2026 Portland launch it will run 13 daily commercial departures across nine nonstop destinations.

    How far is Paine Field from downtown Everett?

    Roughly 25 minutes by rideshare. The terminal sits on the southwest edge of Everett near Mukilteo.

    What is there to actually do in Everett for a weekend?

    Waterfront Place at the Port of Everett, Jetty Island (seasonal ferry), Funko HQ in downtown, AquaSox baseball at Funko Field (summer) or Silvertips hockey at Angel of the Winds Arena (fall through spring), the Everett Art Walk on third Thursdays, and Boeing Future of Flight adjacent to Paine Field for a Sunday departure-day stop.

    Do I need a rental car?

    For a Friday-to-Sunday Everett-only itinerary, rideshare is enough. If you want to add Mukilteo, Whidbey Island via ferry, or any North Cascades day trip, rent a car at the airport.

    What’s the closest hotel to Paine Field?

    The airport area itself has limited lodging. Most visitors stay downtown Everett or near the waterfront — both are roughly 25-30 minutes from the terminal.

    Related Exploring Everett coverage for visitors

  • Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina Is Open on the Everett Waterfront — And It Was Worth the Wait

    Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina Is Open on the Everett Waterfront — And It Was Worth the Wait

    Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina is open. After months of anticipation — we covered the signed lease back in September 2025 and the coming-soon preview in April — the restaurant from the family behind Cava Azul in Woodinville and Agave Cocina in Redmond and Kent has officially landed at the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place. If you’ve been watching that new Restaurant Row building go up on Seiner Drive and wondering when you’d finally get a margarita with a marina view, the answer is now.

    We stopped by to see what the Eastside team brought to Everett’s waterfront, and the short version is: this is a serious restaurant. Not a tourist trap, not a chain spin-off. Marina Azul is the real thing.

    Where It Is and How to Get There

    Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina sits at 1500 Seiner Drive, Suite 102, inside the new Restaurant Row building at Fisherman’s Harbor, Port of Everett Waterfront Place. That puts it right next door to The Net Shed, steps from the marina esplanade, and inside the same development as Tapped Public House and South Fork Baking Co. Parking is in the Port’s main Waterfront Place lot — it’s free and plentiful. If you’re arriving by boat, the marina docks are right there.

    The Food: Elevated Mexican Done Right

    Marina Azul is not your average chips-and-queso operation. The team behind the Woodinville and Redmond locations built a reputation on elevated traditional Mexican — fresh tacos, meticulous sauces, and a kitchen that actually respects what Mexican cuisine can be. The Everett menu follows suit: fresh tacos in multiple styles, specialty items that change seasonally, and an approach to ingredients that puts flavor first rather than defaulting to the same four proteins everyone else uses.

    The menu accommodates vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free diners — a detail that matters in 2026 when half your dining party has a dietary note. That said, don’t let the plant-friendly options fool you into thinking this is health food dressed up as a night out. The kitchen’s strength is in the preparation: salsas made from actual chiles, sauces that taste like they took time, tortillas that have texture. Come hungry.

    The Tequila Program: 100+ Bottles

    Here’s the part worth calling out explicitly: Marina Azul carries more than 100 tequilas. Not a shelf of well tequila with a few premium bottles for show — a genuine sipping tequila program curated by people who care. Blanco, reposado, añejo, extra añejo — it’s all represented. If you’re a mezcal person, they have that covered too.

    The specialty margaritas are the entry point for most tables, and they’re built from the same philosophy as the food: actual fresh ingredients, good base spirits, no neon-green mix. The craft cocktail list extends beyond margaritas into curated agave-forward options. This is a bar worth lingering at.

    The Space: Waterfront Views, Year-Round Patio

    The interior seats a proper dining room with views out toward the marina. But the covered patio is the move — Marina Azul designed it specifically for Pacific Northwest year-round use, which means it works in May when the sun is out and in November when it’s not. A heated, covered patio with marina views and a margarita in hand is a specific kind of good that Everett hasn’t had until now.

    The space is about 2,500 square feet inside plus the patio, which means it can handle a full dinner crowd without feeling cramped. Reservations are strongly recommended for weekends — this is going to be a destination restaurant for the whole county, not just a neighborhood spot.

    Who’s Running It

    The Everett location is managed by Alejandro and Esteban Ramos — nephew and son of the founding family behind the Eastside locations. This isn’t an absentee franchise situation. It’s a family operation that understands the Eastside concept and is extending it with the intention of doing it well in a new market. The family has been in the elevated Mexican dining space in the Seattle region long enough to know what separates a restaurant that becomes a fixture from one that opens and quietly fades. The Everett location has the backing to be the former.

    Hours

    Monday through Thursday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
    Friday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Saturday: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Sunday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

    Weekend brunch service starts at 10 AM — which puts Marina Azul on the short list of actual waterfront brunch options in Everett. That list was previously very short. Note that they’re running a Mother’s Day special (May 11) — if you haven’t booked yet, call soon: (425) 241-9023.

    The Verdict

    The Port of Everett’s Restaurant Row has been building toward something for years, and Marina Azul feels like the piece that completes the picture. You’ve now got fresh fish at The Net Shed, craft beer and brunch at Tapped, pastries and espresso at South Fork Baking Co., and now elevated Mexican with a serious tequila program at Marina Azul — all within a five-minute walk of each other on the marina esplanade.

    We’ve been waiting for Everett’s waterfront dining scene to have a proper night-out Mexican restaurant. The wait is over. Go get a margarita and watch the boats.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina open in Everett?

    Yes. Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina is now open at 1500 Seiner Drive, Suite 102, Port of Everett Waterfront Place. Hours are Monday–Thursday 11 AM–9 PM, Friday 11 AM–10 PM, Saturday–Sunday 10 AM–9/10 PM.

    What kind of food does Marina Azul serve?

    Elevated traditional Mexican cuisine — fresh tacos, specialty margaritas, curated cocktails, and more. The menu includes vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.

    How many tequilas does Marina Azul carry?

    More than 100. It’s one of the most extensive tequila programs in Snohomish County.

    Is there outdoor seating?

    Yes — a covered, heated patio along the marina esplanade designed for year-round use.

    Who owns Marina Azul Everett?

    The same family behind Cava Azul Cocina & Cantina in Woodinville and Agave Cocina & Cantina in Redmond and Kent. The Everett location is managed by Alejandro and Esteban Ramos. Public relations contact: Deba Wegner at Recipe for Success, Inc.

    Is Marina Azul good for a date night or special occasion?

    Yes — waterfront views, serious cocktails, and a menu that’s actually trying. Reserve a table for weekends.

    Is there parking at Marina Azul?

    Yes, free parking in the Port of Everett Waterfront Place main lot off Seine Drive. Accessible by boat as well via the marina docks.

  • Port of Everett Lands $11.25 Million Federal Grant to Rebuild Pier 3 — Here’s What It Means for Everett’s Working Waterfront

    Port of Everett Lands $11.25 Million Federal Grant to Rebuild Pier 3 — Here’s What It Means for Everett’s Working Waterfront

    Q: What is the Port of Everett Pier 3 federal grant?
    A: In April 2026, the Port of Everett was awarded an $11.25 million grant from the federal Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) to modernize and strengthen Pier 3, the seaport’s longest berth. The project will install new vertical piles, restore damaged structural elements, and restore the pier to its full cargo-handling capacity — unlocking more diverse freight operations at one of the West Coast’s 18 federally designated Strategic Commercial Seaports.

    The Grant: $11.25 Million to Fix the Pier That Holds Up Everett’s Supply Chain

    The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced on April 27, 2026, that the Port of Everett had been selected for an $11.25 million competitive grant under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). The award came as part of a broader $22 million federal investment in Northwest Washington port infrastructure, with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community receiving the remaining funds for a separate project.

    PIDP grants are awarded nationally on a competitive basis. To qualify, projects must demonstrably improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of freight movement into, out of, or within a port. The Port of Everett’s Pier 3 project cleared that bar — and it’s not hard to see why when you understand what Pier 3 actually does and what’s been happening to it structurally.

    Port of Everett CEO and Executive Director Lisa Lefeber didn’t undersell the significance: “The Port is grateful to the U.S. Department of Transportation for this critical maritime infrastructure investment that will ensure the Port of Everett Seaport continues to safely support 40,000-plus local jobs, regional economic development, and the Washington state economy.”

    What Pier 3 Is — and Why It Needs This Work

    Pier 3 is the longest berth at the Port of Everett Seaport, measuring 730 feet long with a 120-foot-wide concrete deck. It was constructed in 1973 and has facilitated global and regional trade for over five decades — handling bulk alumina ore, cement, general cargo, and forest products across those years.

    But Pier 3 has a structural problem. The pier was originally engineered to carry a uniform live load of 800 pounds per square foot. In recent years, that rating had to be derated — the south side dropped to 600 pounds per square foot, the north side to 400 pounds per square foot, and some sections were derated even further. In practical terms, that means the pier cannot be used to its full operational potential. Cargo-handling equipment that would otherwise operate on the pier isn’t permitted because the structure can’t safely carry the load.

    That’s the problem the $11.25 million fixes. The Pier 3 Strengthening Safety and Commerce project will install new vertical piles beneath the pier and restore other damaged piles, adding new structural life to a facility that Washington’s construction industry, the U.S. military, and global maritime commerce all rely on.

    What Pier 3 Does Today — and What It Will Be Able to Do After

    Right now, despite its compromised load rating, Pier 3 is doing a lot. Its primary use is bulk cement operations. That’s because Pier 3 sits directly adjacent to a 55,000-ton dry bulk cement storage dome at Hewitt Terminal — one of the largest cement storage facilities in the Pacific Northwest. The cement stored and moved through this terminal is a critical supply chain asset for Washington state’s construction industry. Every major building project from Seattle to Bellingham that uses concrete is connected, at some point, to freight moving through this pier.

    The north side of Pier 3 serves a different critical function: ship repair. A Seaport tenant uses that berth for maintenance and repair work on vessels serving the U.S. Navy, Department of Defense, U.S. Coast Guard, Washington State Ferries, and the commercial fishing fleet. That’s not a minor side operation — it’s a direct service line to the military and to the state’s ferry system, the largest in the country.

    After the strengthening project is complete, the pier’s operational envelope expands significantly. The restored load ratings will allow cargo-handling equipment to operate across the full deck, which means the Port can diversify the types of freight Pier 3 can handle — moving beyond its current cement-primary profile to take on breakbulk cargo, project cargo, and other freight categories where the Port already has a strong reputation.

    Pier 3’s Position in the Larger Port Complex

    What makes this grant especially significant is Pier 3’s location within the Seaport’s freight network. The pier sits close to Norton Terminal — the Port’s award-winning, 40-acre, paved, lit, and fully secured cargo yard — as well as adjacent bonded warehouse space, an additional 15-acre cargo yard, 40-foot mean lower low water (MLLW) depth, and on-dock rail access. That combination of deep-water berth, secured yard, and rail connectivity is rare on the West Coast and is a primary reason why the Port has built a reputation for handling oversized and high-value cargo.

    Pier 3 is also part of the reason why the Port of Everett can make a claim that would sound improbable on paper: the Port handles 100 percent of the oversized aerospace parts for Boeing’s 767, 777, 777X, and KC-46 Tanker programs. Those parts — too large to move by truck — come down the Snohomish River from the Paine Field manufacturing campus and load out at the Seaport. Restoring Pier 3’s full operational capacity directly supports that aerospace export pipeline.

    Strategic Commercial Seaport Status: What That Actually Means

    Tim Ryker, the Port of Everett’s Chief of Seaport Operations, highlighted a dimension of the project that goes beyond commercial freight: “It will also allow us to better serve in our role as a Strategic Commercial Seaport in support of our national defense and our military partners.”

    That’s not boilerplate language. The Port of Everett is one of just five Strategic Commercial Seaports on the West Coast and one of only 18 nationwide. That federal designation — from MARAD, the same agency that awarded this grant — means the Port must maintain military-readiness capability and be prepared to support Department of Defense cargo movements on short notice. With Pier 3 operating below its designed capacity, that readiness posture is constrained. The strengthening project restores it.

    The Economic Numbers Behind the Pier

    The Port of Everett Seaport sits 25 miles north of Seattle in naturally deep water. It ranks as the second largest export customs district in Washington state and the fifth on the West Coast. The port supports nearly $21 billion worth of U.S. exports annually, or roughly $30 billion when both imports and exports are counted together. The regional transportation network tied to those operations supports more than 40,000 jobs and $433 million in state and local tax revenues.

    With more than 60 percent of jobs in Snohomish County tied to trade, the Port’s infrastructure isn’t a footnote to Everett’s economy — it is a primary driver of it. An $11.25 million investment in the structural integrity of the port’s longest berth is, in that context, exactly the kind of infrastructure maintenance that holds the whole system together.

    The funding covers the full scope of the Pier 3 project: planning and engineering, environmental review, permitting, and construction. Representative Rick Larsen, who shared news of the award with Port representatives, has been a consistent advocate for Pacific Northwest port infrastructure funding in Congress.

    What We’re Watching Next

    The PIDP grant covers the complete project lifecycle, so the next step is the planning and engineering phase — the environmental review and permitting work that will precede construction. Given the Port’s track record on infrastructure projects like the Segment E bulkhead rebuild on West Marine View Drive (which is wrapping up final-phase construction right now after 20 years), we expect planning to move efficiently. What we’ll be watching: the environmental review timeline, the contractor selection process, and whether the project schedule aligns with the Port’s broader 2026 capital plan outlined in its $70 million 2026 budget.

    For a deep look at what the Port’s working waterfront actually handles on a daily basis, the Hat Island Ferry harbor tour remains the best public window into that operation.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP)?

    PIDP is a federal competitive grant program administered by MARAD (U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration). Grants go to port infrastructure projects that improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of freight movement. Awards are competitive and national in scope.

    Why was Pier 3 derated?

    Pier 3 was originally designed to carry 800 pounds per square foot but has experienced structural deterioration over its 53-year life. Damaged piles and structural elements required engineers to reduce the allowable load rating — to 600 PSF on the south side, 400 PSF on the north side, with some areas lower. The $11.25 million project will install new piles and restore the structure.

    How many jobs does the Port of Everett support?

    The Port of Everett’s regional transportation network supports more than 40,000 jobs and $433 million in state and local tax revenues. More than 60 percent of Snohomish County jobs are tied to trade.

    What cargo goes through Pier 3 today?

    Pier 3 currently handles bulk cement operations (adjacent to a 55,000-ton cement storage dome) and ship repair work for the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, Washington State Ferries, and the commercial fishing fleet. After strengthening, it will be able to handle a broader range of cargo types including breakbulk and project cargo.

    What is a Strategic Commercial Seaport?

    A MARAD-designated Strategic Commercial Seaport must maintain readiness to support Department of Defense cargo movements on short notice while minimizing disruption to commercial operations. The Port of Everett is one of 5 on the West Coast and 18 nationwide with this designation.

  • Anthony’s HomePort Everett Is Serving Halibut Season Right Now — And the Deck Views Are Worth the Drive

    Anthony’s HomePort Everett Is Serving Halibut Season Right Now — And the Deck Views Are Worth the Drive

    Q: What’s the best waterfront seafood restaurant in Everett, WA?
    A: Anthony’s HomePort Everett at 1726 W Marine View Dr serves fresh Northwest seafood — including wild halibut in season — with direct views of Port Gardner Bay and the Olympic Mountains. It’s the closest thing Everett has to a destination seafood house, and halibut season makes it required eating right now. Call (425) 252-3333 for reservations. Last verified: April 2026.

    Anthony’s HomePort Everett Is Serving Halibut Season Right Now — And the Deck Views Are Worth the Drive

    There are maybe four or five restaurants in Everett where the location alone is part of the meal. Anthony’s HomePort is one of them. Sit at a window table — or better, on the deck when the weather allows — and you’re looking straight at Port Gardner Bay, with Camano Island off to the left, Whidbey Island stretching across the horizon, Hat Island visible in the distance, and the Olympic Mountains stacked up behind all of it on a clear day. That view doesn’t get old.

    We mention the view first because Anthony’s earns it twice: once through real estate and once through the food. Right now, in late April, we’re deep into halibut season, which is the single best reason to walk in the door at this particular moment. Wild Pacific halibut is a short window every year, and Anthony’s has built a three-course halibut menu around it. The fish comes from longtime supplier partners and is sourced for the clean, white, delicate flake that makes fresh-caught halibut so different from what you get frozen or out of season. If you have any interest in Pacific Northwest seafood, this is the move right now.

    The Restaurant

    Anthony’s HomePort Everett sits at 1726 W Marine View Drive on Everett’s working waterfront, just south of the Port of Everett’s main marina complex. It’s part of the Anthony’s Restaurants family — a Pacific Northwest institution founded by Anthony and Anne Hinds that runs locations from Olympia to Bellingham — and the HomePort brand is their more relaxed, neighborhood-facing concept: come as you are, families welcome, no need to dress up, but the fish quality is the same across every Anthony’s property.

    The Everett location has been feeding locals off this stretch of Marine View Drive for years. It’s one of those places Everett residents walk past without necessarily thinking of it as “their” restaurant — until they finally sit down for dinner and realize they’ve been missing out. The 562 Yelp reviews and 2,953 OpenTable diners averaging 4.6 stars tell the same story: this place is reliable and the setting rewards it.

    The Deck

    Late April is the edge of deck season in Everett, and Anthony’s has a proper outdoor patio that’s worth sitting on whenever the skies cooperate. On a clear evening you can watch the marina traffic, catch a sunset over the Olympics, and hear the gulls complaining about something. It’s the kind of outdoor dining experience that most of the county genuinely doesn’t have access to — this isn’t a parking lot patio with a heat lamp, it’s a working waterfront deck with actual water in front of you.

    The indoor seating is equally solid if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Large windows frame the marina from inside, and the window seats go fast. Reservations via OpenTable are strongly recommended, especially on weekends.

    What to Order

    Right now, halibut. The three-course halibut season menu is the reason you’re here in April and May. Wild halibut has a clean sweetness and a texture that doesn’t survive freezing, so when the season’s open and the fish is fresh, you order it. Anthony’s sources theirs from longtime partner fisheries to maintain that freshness across the season.

    Beyond halibut, the menu is a solid tour of Pacific Northwest seafood done well:

    • Sockeye salmon chargrilled and finished with sundried tomato basil butter, served with champ potatoes and seasonal vegetables. This is the anchor of the menu outside of halibut season, and rightfully so — sockeye is the most flavorful of the Pacific salmon species and Anthony’s treats it simply enough to let that come through.
    • Wild Alaska true cod lightly panko-crusted, with ginger slaw and fries. Best fish and chips on the waterfront, full stop.
    • Dungeness crab when available. Seasonally dependent and worth asking about when you sit down.
    • Calamari, chowder, and Caesar salad round out the starters. The chowder is the move if you’re cold and want something warming before the main.
    • Scallop specials rotate through the menu and are worth asking the server about.

    Budget for $40–$90 per person depending on what you order and whether you’re doing cocktails. It’s not cheap, but it’s not pretending to be something it isn’t either — this is a proper seafood dinner with views that justify the price.

    The Hours and Getting There

    Dinner service runs Monday through Thursday and Sunday from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Lunch service is also available on weekdays — check their website or call ahead for the most current schedule, as seasonal hours can shift. The number is (425) 252-3333.

    The address is 1726 W Marine View Drive, Everett, WA 98201. From I-5, take exit 193 (Marine View Drive) and follow it north along the water. Parking is free in the adjacent lot. The restaurant sits on the bay side of Marine View Drive, and the turn is easy to miss the first time — look for the Anthony’s sign before you hit the Port of Everett’s main entrance.

    How It Fits the Waterfront Dining Scene

    Everett’s waterfront dining scene has gotten genuinely interesting over the last two years. Fisherman Jack’s brought a dim sum-and-Asian-fusion angle to the marina end of the Port. Sound to Summit’s marina taproom brought PNW craft beer to the south side of the port. Rustic Cork’s rooftop brought wine and weekend brunch to Waterfront Place. South Fork Baking Co. anchors the pastry-and-coffee end of things at Fisherman’s Harbor.

    Anthony’s HomePort fills a different slot in that map: it’s the dedicated seafood house, the place you go when the occasion calls for sitting down to a proper fish dinner with someone you want to impress or a night out that feels like a real night out. The rest of the waterfront scene is excellent, but none of them are doing what Anthony’s does with a halibut filet in April.

    The Bottom Line

    Anthony’s HomePort Everett is not a secret. It’s been sitting on this stretch of Marine View Drive for years, doing Northwest seafood correctly with better views than most restaurants in the county. The halibut season window is short, the deck is usable right now, and the reservations fill up on weekends. If you’ve been meaning to go, this is the week to stop meaning it and just go.

    Reservations via OpenTable recommended. Walk-ins welcome but take your chances on weekends.


    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is Anthony’s HomePort Everett?

    Anthony’s HomePort Everett is a Pacific Northwest seafood restaurant at 1726 W Marine View Drive on the Everett waterfront, overlooking Port Gardner Bay. Part of the Anthony’s Restaurants family, it serves fresh seasonal fish, Dungeness crab, sockeye salmon, and wild halibut in season, with indoor and outdoor deck seating.

    When does halibut season run at Anthony’s HomePort Everett?

    Pacific halibut season typically runs from spring through early summer. Anthony’s celebrates the season with a dedicated halibut menu while the fish is in season. Check with the restaurant directly for current availability: (425) 252-3333.

    What are the best things to order at Anthony’s HomePort Everett?

    In season, wild halibut is the top pick. Year-round standouts include chargrilled sockeye salmon with sundried tomato basil butter, panko-crusted Alaska true cod with ginger slaw, Dungeness crab when available, and the seafood chowder as a starter.

    Does Anthony’s HomePort Everett have outdoor seating?

    Yes. Anthony’s has an outdoor deck and patio with direct waterfront views of Port Gardner Bay, Camano Island, Whidbey Island, and the Olympic Mountains. The deck is available weather permitting. Large windows also provide waterfront views from the indoor dining room.

    What are the hours and how do I make a reservation?

    Dinner service is Monday through Thursday and Sunday 3:00 PM–8:00 PM, and Friday–Saturday 3:00 PM–9:00 PM. Lunch is also available on weekdays — call (425) 252-3333 or check their website for current hours. Reservations via OpenTable are recommended for weekends.

    Where is Anthony’s HomePort Everett and where do I park?

    The address is 1726 W Marine View Drive, Everett, WA 98201. Take I-5 exit 193 and head north on Marine View Drive. Free parking in the adjacent lot. Look for the Anthony’s sign on the bay side before you reach the Port of Everett main entrance.

    How does Anthony’s HomePort compare to other Everett waterfront restaurants?

    Anthony’s is the dedicated seafood house on the Everett waterfront — it fills a different slot from newer spots like Fisherman Jack’s (Asian fusion), Rustic Cork (wine bar), and Sound to Summit (craft brewery). If you want a traditional Northwest seafood dinner with deck views, Anthony’s is the move.

  • Every Major Construction Project in Everett Right Now — Late April 2026 Update

    Every Major Construction Project in Everett Right Now — Late April 2026 Update

    Q: What major construction projects are active in Everett, WA right now?
    A: As of late April 2026, Everett’s active construction landscape includes: the Millwright District Phase 2 residential build-out (300+ apartments, LPC West), the Eclipse Mill Riverfront Park two-phase build (City Phase 1 underway July–November 2026), the Lenora Stormwater Treatment Facility (broke ground April 2026, $8.73M), the $113M West Marine View Drive pipeline, and the downtown stadium design process — plus two projects that just wrapped: the $34M Edgewater Bridge and the Port of Everett’s Segment E bulkhead.

    Everett is a construction site right now — and we mean that as a compliment. From waterfront infrastructure to riverfront parks to transit-adjacent housing, more physical transformation is underway in this city simultaneously than at almost any other point in its history. Here’s where every major project stands as of late April 2026.

    Just Completed

    Edgewater Bridge — $34M Seismic Replacement (Opened April 28, 2026)

    The most visible construction closure in Everett this year ended this week. The new Edgewater Bridge opened to vehicle traffic on April 28, concluding an 18-month replacement of the 1946 span connecting Everett and Mukilteo on SR-529. Contractor: Granite Construction Company ($25.4M contract). Total budget: $34M ($28M federal grants, $6M local). The replacement is 366 feet, seismically sound, and features 6.5-foot sidewalks and 5-foot bike lanes on both sides — a genuine upgrade in every dimension. Sidewalk and bike lane finishing work continues for approximately 2–3 more weeks.

    Port of Everett Segment E Bulkhead — $6.75M Final Phase (Completion: May 2026)

    The Port’s Segment E bulkhead rebuild on West Marine View Drive is at the end of its final phase. The $6.75M project, contracted to Bergerson Construction, replaces 165 linear feet of aging wood piling along the Port Gardner Landing area with modern steel — the final chapter of a 20-year, multi-segment bulkhead replacement program. When complete in May 2026, the entire Port of Everett marina-side wharf will have been systematically rebuilt. The work also stabilizes the SR-529 embankment above the marina and ties into ADA-compliant esplanade trail connections.

    Under Construction Now

    Millwright District Phase 2 — 300+ Waterfront Apartments (Under Construction, 2026–2028)

    LPC West (Lincoln Property Company) broke ground on the residential component of Millwright District Phase 2 in 2026. The development calls for 300+ apartments on the 10-acre district, which sits adjacent to the Central Marina esplanade. This is the first housing to be built on the Port of Everett’s waterfront in the project’s history. The full Millwright build-out over the coming five to seven years will also add 60,000+ square feet of retail and restaurants, 120,000+ square feet of pre-leasing Class-A office, and additional parking. Tenants should be able to move into housing within approximately two years of the groundbreaking. The Millwright Loop road infrastructure, which broke ground in August 2023, is already in place.

    Lenora Stormwater Treatment Facility — $8.73M Snohomish River Cleanup (Broke Ground April 2026)

    One of Everett’s newest active construction sites is the Lenora Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility at South 1st and Lenora in the Lowell neighborhood. The $8.73M project — funded by Washington State WQC grant WQC-2025-EverPW-00177 — will treat stormwater from 146 acres of drainage subbasins (LW-9, LW-10, LW-11) before discharge into the Marshland Canal and Snohomish River. The facility uses a five-cell Filterra Bioscape bioretention system. Expected construction timeline: approximately 8 months from the April 2026 groundbreaking, putting substantial completion around December 2026. This is one of the few significant environmental infrastructure projects currently active in the city.

    Eclipse Mill Riverfront Park — Two-Phase Build (Phase 1: July–November 2026)

    The Eclipse Mill Park on the Snohomish River is moving through its two-phase build. Phase 1 — the City of Everett’s portion, covering public infrastructure, riverbank work, and initial park improvements — is scheduled from July through November 2026. Phase 2, which covers the signature park structures and shelter elements, is under development by Shelter Holdings and is targeted for completion between Fall 2026 and Spring 2028. This is Everett’s most significant new riverfront public space in a generation, and it’s actively under pre-construction planning and permitting heading into the summer 2026 construction season.

    Approved and Starting Soon

    West Marine View Drive Pipeline — $113M Combined Sewer and Water Main Replacement (Summer 2026)

    The City Council approved the $113M West Marine View Drive pipeline project on April 2, 2026. The project replaces the combined sewer and stormwater pipe plus a 48-inch water main from Grand Ave Bridge to Hewitt Avenue along the waterfront corridor — a state-mandated CSO reduction project under order from the Washington Department of Ecology. The related Pacific Avenue Pipeline segment (1,000 linear feet, 42-inch pipe) is also funded and expected to begin construction summer 2026. The broader project feeds into the $200M+ Port Gardner Storage Facility program. Funded from restricted water/sewer utility funds — no new taxes required.

    Port of Everett Mukilteo Waterfront District — RFQ Expected Spring 2026

    The Port of Everett is assembling a second waterfront district in Mukilteo. In February 2026, the Port completed a quitclaim acquisition of 1.1 acres at 710 Front Street (former NOAA parcel), and the $closing for the adjacent Ivar’s Mukilteo Landing (0.55 acres, 9,637 sq ft building) is targeted for July 2026, with Ivar’s remaining as a long-term tenant. NBBJ Architecture is the design firm carried forward from prior planning. A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for development partners is expected in spring 2026 — which means this site could enter serious pre-development this year, with the newly reopened Edgewater Bridge now providing restored road access between the two waterfronts.

    In Design / Pre-Construction

    Downtown Stadium — Design Phase (Vote April 29, 2026)

    The Everett City Council is expected to vote April 29 on the $10.6M design funding package — an interfund loan plus a $7.4M state Department of Commerce grant — that would allow DLR Group to proceed with final design of the downtown multi-sport stadium. The project is intended to eventually host the Everett AquaSox (baseball) and new USL men’s and women’s soccer teams. From a construction perspective, design completion is the prerequisite before any competitive contractor selection process. If the April 29 vote passes, detailed schematic and design development work begins. Actual construction groundbreaking is still multiple years away.

    Broadway Pedestrian Bridge — $3.1M Design Contract (Design Through 2028)

    The City Council approved a $3.1M contract with Kimley-Horn in late April to design a grade-separated pedestrian crossing over Broadway that connects Everett Community College’s main campus to its Learning Resource Center and WSU Everett. The likely location is north of 10th Street. Design is expected to take through end of 2028. Construction funding is a separate future vote. This is a design-only phase right now, but it fits Everett’s pattern of investing in pedestrian infrastructure along the transit corridor as Sound Transit Everett Link planning continues.

    What’s Done Since the Last Tracker

    Since our last full construction tracker in early April, several notable milestones have landed. The Segment E bulkhead moved into final phase and is nearly wrapped. The Edgewater Bridge — which appeared in the April tracker as a late-2025 project still pending — opened 18 months after its October 2024 closure. The $113M pipeline got council approval. The Lenora stormwater facility broke ground. And the Broadway bridge design contract was signed. That’s five significant project milestones in one month.

    Everett’s construction calendar for May through December 2026 is genuinely busy: pipeline work starts, Eclipse Mill Phase 1 starts in July, Lenora wraps around December, and Millwright’s residential frame continues going up. For a city that spent much of the last decade talking about what it wanted to become, the evidence of that becoming is now visible in the ground-level activity on almost every side of town.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How many major construction projects are active in Everett in 2026?

    At least 6-8 significant projects are under active construction or in funded design in Everett as of late April 2026: Millwright District Phase 2 apartments, Lenora Stormwater Facility, Eclipse Mill Park, West Marine View pipeline, Broadway pedestrian bridge design, and the downtown stadium design process — plus recently completed projects including the Edgewater Bridge and Port Segment E bulkhead.

    When will Millwright District Phase 2 apartments be ready?

    LPC West (Lincoln Property Company) is the developer. The residential units — 300+ apartments — are expected to be move-in ready within approximately two years of the 2026 groundbreaking, targeting 2027–2028 occupancy. The full Millwright buildout of retail, restaurants, and office space is a 5–7 year program.

    What is the Eclipse Mill Park and when does it open?

    Eclipse Mill Park is Everett’s new riverfront signature park on the Snohomish River. Phase 1 (city infrastructure work) is scheduled July–November 2026. Phase 2 (Shelter Holdings, park structures and amenities) targets completion between Fall 2026 and Spring 2028. The full park opening is expected Spring 2028.

    What’s the status of the Everett downtown stadium construction?

    The stadium is in the design funding phase. A City Council vote on $10.6M in design funding is expected April 29, 2026. If approved, DLR Group proceeds with final design. Physical construction groundbreaking is still several years away — design and permitting come first.

    What is the $113M pipeline project on West Marine View Drive?

    The $113M project replaces the combined sewer/stormwater pipe and a 48-inch water main along the waterfront corridor from Grand Ave Bridge to Hewitt Avenue. It’s a state-mandated CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) reduction project required by the Washington Department of Ecology, funded from restricted water/sewer utility reserves. Construction is expected to begin summer 2026.

  • Snohomish County’s Office Vacancy Just Dropped to 10.7% — What the Q1 2026 Numbers Mean for Waterfront Place and Everett’s Build-Out

    Snohomish County’s Office Vacancy Just Dropped to 10.7% — What the Q1 2026 Numbers Mean for Waterfront Place and Everett’s Build-Out

    Quick Answer: Snohomish County’s office market just posted its third straight quarter of positive net absorption, ending Q1 2026 at 10.7% vacancy with asking rents at $31.20 per square foot — a small but real signal that the office side of the Everett story is firming up while the housing side cools. The numbers come from Kidder Mathews’ Q1 2026 Seattle Office Market Report, and they matter because the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place build-out is planning 447,500 square feet of office on top of an apartment market that just turned soft. Office is the harder leasing story right now. The Q1 numbers say it is starting to turn.

    Snohomish County’s Office Vacancy Just Dropped to 10.7% — What the Q1 2026 Numbers Mean for Waterfront Place and Everett’s Build-Out

    Most of the housing-market coverage in Everett right now is about the same story told three different ways: the rental market is down 2% year over year, the new-construction market closed exactly one home above list this month, and the condo market is actually outperforming single-family. Those are three pieces of one residential picture.

    The office market is a separate picture. And Kidder Mathews — the commercial brokerage that publishes the most-cited Seattle Office Market Report — just released its Q1 2026 numbers for Snohomish County. The headline is unflashy and important: vacancy ended the quarter at 10.7%, asking rents nudged up to $31.20 PSF, and the county posted its third straight quarter of positive net absorption. None of those numbers will trend on social media. All of them will show up in the leasing decisions that determine whether the next phase of Waterfront Place is a building full of offices or a building waiting for tenants.

    The Q1 2026 Numbers, Plain

    From Kidder Mathews’ Q1 2026 Seattle Office Market Report, here is the Snohomish County row:

    • Overall vacancy: 10.7% at the end of Q1 2026, down slightly from the prior quarter and a touch below the 10.8% rate at the close of Q1 2025.
    • Net absorption: Positive 37,931 square feet — the third straight positive quarter. Net absorption is leasing brokers’ favorite single number because it captures whether more space got filled than emptied during the period.
    • Total leasing activity: Slowed to 59,395 square feet during Q1 2026, including renewals.
    • Asking rent: $31.20 per square foot, a 0.8% improvement on the prior quarter’s $30.96 PSF.

    That is a market that is not setting records and is not falling apart. It is grinding up. For office, that is a normal story. For Snohomish County office in 2026, after a few years of soft national office demand, it is a meaningful story.

    Why 10.7% Is the Right Number to Watch

    Vacancy alone is a noisy number. A market can have 10% vacancy because nobody wants the space, or because half the inventory is old and the other half is brand new and leasing fast. What changes the read is the trend.

    Snohomish County office vacancy ended Q1 2025 at 10.8%, ended Q4 2025 a hair higher, and ended Q1 2026 at 10.7%. That is a four-quarter window in which vacancy has effectively moved sideways with a slight downward bias. Pair that with three straight quarters of positive net absorption and a 0.8% bump in asking rents, and you have the soft outline of a market floor. Not a recovery. Not a boom. A floor.

    That distinction matters for anyone watching Waterfront Place and the Millwright District. A floor is what you need to start signing leases on new product. A floor is what makes pre-leasing offices in a downtown waterfront development work as a financial pro forma.

    What This Means for Waterfront Place’s 447,500 SF of Office

    The Port of Everett’s master plan for Waterfront Place includes 447,500 square feet of office at full build-out, alongside the 660 housing units, the two hotels, and the 63,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. The first major office product on the waterfront is the Millwright District Phase 2 office — covered earlier this month when we wrote about what 120,000 square feet of waterfront office space means for Everett.

    The Q1 numbers are the leasing context for that 120,000 square feet. If county-wide office had ended Q1 at 13% with three straight quarters of negative absorption, the Millwright pre-leasing pitch would be a hard one. Tenants would have leverage, asking rents would be soft, and the calendar from groundbreaking to stabilized occupancy would be longer than the financing model assumed.

    At 10.7% with a positive absorption trend and rents nudging up, the pitch is different. Waterfront-view office at $31-plus-PSF is a defensible play in a market where vacancy is not bleeding out. It does not guarantee anything. It just removes one of the legitimate reasons to be skeptical.

    What This Means for Downtown Office

    The other pressure point in Snohomish County office is the existing downtown Everett inventory — older Class B and Class C buildings along Colby, Hewitt, and Wetmore that have been competing with the move to remote and hybrid work for half a decade. Those buildings do not benefit from the same waterfront-view pitch.

    What they do benefit from is the absorption trend. If the county is filling 38,000 square feet net per quarter, some of that is going into existing downtown space. A market with positive net absorption broadly is a market in which downtown landlords have a chance to lease, even if the asking rents are well below the $31.20 county average and the deals require concessions that would have been unthinkable in 2019. The signal here is permission to underwrite, not a green light to raise rents.

    The Broader Puget Sound Comparison

    Snohomish County’s 10.7% vacancy compares to the broader Seattle/Puget Sound regional office vacancy, which ended Q3 2025 at 22.7% per the same Kidder Mathews series. That gap — 12 percentage points between the county and the regional average — is the structural advantage Snohomish County has been quietly building. Office demand drains out of the urban core when work-from-home becomes permanent. It does not drain out of the suburban Class A market in the same way, especially in a corridor with Boeing’s commercial aerospace anchor, the Naval Station Everett anchor, and a residential population that does not commute south to Seattle.

    The Waterfront Place office product is being designed to sit inside that gap. Class A finishes, water views, walking-distance restaurants, dedicated parking, and a corridor that has not been hollowed out by the urban-flight pattern that hit downtown Seattle. The Q1 2026 absorption number is a small piece of evidence that the gap is real and that the leasing thesis has a floor under it.

    What to Watch in Q2

    The next Kidder Mathews report will land in mid-July, capturing Q2 2026 absorption. Three things to watch:

    1. Whether net absorption stays positive. A fourth straight positive quarter would convert the floor read into a recovery read.
    2. Whether asking rents push past $31.50 PSF. That is the threshold above which Class A new product can be priced confidently.
    3. Whether leasing activity recovers from the 59,395 SF Q1 figure. Q1 leasing was slow. Q2 is the test of whether decision-makers are sitting on the sidelines or actually backing out of the market.

    What This Doesn’t Say

    It does not say office is back. It does not say the rest of 2026 is a guaranteed recovery. It does not address the suburban-to-suburban moves that are powering most of the absorption (companies giving up old space for newer space — net-positive county-wide, net-zero or worse for individual landlords). It does not isolate Everett from Bothell, Lynnwood, or Mill Creek inside the county number. And it does not predict whether tariffs, interest rates, or the broader macroeconomic story will rewrite the leasing calendar.

    What it does say, in the most boring possible language: the floor is holding, the absorption is positive, and the rents are nudging up. That is the leasing context the next phase of Waterfront Place is going to be pitched into. The Port has been building toward this moment for a decade. The Q1 numbers say the moment is plausible.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the Snohomish County office vacancy rate in Q1 2026?

    10.7% per Kidder Mathews’ Q1 2026 Seattle Office Market Report, a slight decrease from 10.8% in Q1 2025 and a small improvement from the prior quarter.

    What were Snohomish County’s Q1 2026 office asking rents?

    $31.20 per square foot, up 0.8% from the prior quarter’s $30.96 PSF.

    What is net absorption?

    Net absorption is the change in occupied office space during a period — total square feet leased and moved into, minus total square feet vacated. Positive net absorption means more space got filled than emptied. Snohomish County posted 37,931 SF of positive net absorption in Q1 2026, its third straight positive quarter.

    How much office space is planned at Waterfront Place?

    The Port of Everett’s master plan calls for 447,500 square feet of office at full build-out. Millwright District Phase 2 includes 120,000 square feet of waterfront office in pre-leasing.

    How does Snohomish County compare to the broader Seattle office market?

    Snohomish County’s 10.7% vacancy is significantly tighter than the broader Seattle/Puget Sound regional vacancy, which Kidder Mathews reported at 22.7% in Q3 2025. Suburban Class A markets in Snohomish County have held up better than the urban Seattle core through the work-from-home shift.

    When is the next Kidder Mathews report?

    Q2 2026 data typically lands in mid-July.

    Is this a good time to lease office space in Everett?

    Tenants still hold meaningful leverage at 10.7% vacancy, especially in older Class B and Class C downtown product. Asking rents are firming but concessions remain available. The trend favors landlords gradually but has not flipped to a clear landlord market.

  • The $6.75M Wharf Rebuild on West Marine View Is About to Finish — Here’s What 20 Years of Bulkhead Work Looks Like When It’s Done

    The $6.75M Wharf Rebuild on West Marine View Is About to Finish — Here’s What 20 Years of Bulkhead Work Looks Like When It’s Done

    Quick Answer: The Port of Everett’s $6.75 million final-phase bulkhead and wharf rebuild — the project running along West Marine View Drive at Port Gardner Landing — is on track to wrap by May 2026 after starting in early September 2025. Bergerson Construction is replacing roughly 165 lineal feet of aging wooden bulkhead with steel piles to stabilize State Route 529 above it, and the wharf overhead is getting fresh decking, ADA-compliant trail connection, and new landscaping. It is the last piece of a 20-year bulkhead replacement effort that has quietly been holding the marina in place for two decades.

    The $6.75M Wharf Rebuild on West Marine View Is About to Finish — Here’s What 20 Years of Bulkhead Work Looks Like When It’s Done

    If you’ve driven southbound on West Marine View Drive any time since last September and wondered why one lane has been closed near Port Gardner Landing and the Grand Avenue Park Bridge, the answer is the most quietly important construction project on the Everett waterfront. The Port of Everett’s final phase of marina bulkhead replacement and wharf rebuild — a $6.75 million contract awarded to Oregon-based Bergerson Construction — is on schedule to complete in May 2026. After 20 years of bulkhead work, segment by segment, this is the piece that finishes the system.

    It is not the splashiest project on the waterfront. It does not come with a ribbon cutting and a brewery opening. But it is the structural reason the road above it stays put, and the reason the marina behind it does not slowly slide into Port Gardner Bay. So we walked the project, read the contracts, and figured out what May actually means.

    What’s Actually Being Replaced

    The project is doing two things in one footprint:

    Segment E bulkhead. The Port is pulling out approximately 165 lineal feet of aging wooden bulkhead and driving steel piles in its place. That bulkhead is the engineered wall that separates the marina from the highway above it. It is the reason State Route 529 — better known locally as West Marine View Drive — has not subsided into the water. The original wooden structure is decades old. Steel piles will hold the same line with significantly more long-term stability and capacity to support the corridor above.

    Wharf reconstruction. Directly above the bulkhead, the section of overwater wharf is being torn out and replaced with new decking. New landscaping is going in alongside it, and the rebuilt wharf will tie into the Port’s waterfront trail system with an ADA-compliant connection — closing a long-standing accessibility gap on the trail. Pedestrian separation from the busy roadway is part of the design, which matters on a corridor that carries commuter, freight, and military traffic in and out of Naval Station Everett.

    Why SR 529 Is the Real Story

    The official name of the project — “Segment E Wharf and State Highway 529 Stability Improvements” — buries the lead. This is a stability project for a state highway as much as it is a marina project. SR 529 / West Marine View Drive is the spine of the Everett waterfront. It connects downtown to the Port, to NAVSTA Everett, and to the freight and military supply chain that runs through the seaport. The wooden bulkhead that has been holding it up was placed before most of the apartments at Waterfront Place were even drawings. It earned its retirement.

    The Washington State Department of Transportation is a stakeholder in the project for the same reason. Anything that happens to the bulkhead happens to the roadway. Replacing 165 LF of aging wood with engineered steel piles is the kind of unsexy infrastructure investment that quietly extends the design life of a critical regional corridor by decades.

    Why This Is the End of a 20-Year Project

    The Port has been replacing bulkhead segments along this stretch of waterfront in phases for two decades. Each segment has been a distinct contract, a distinct construction window, and a distinct round of permitting with state and federal regulators. Segment E is the final phase. When Bergerson hands the keys back to the Port in May, the bulkhead replacement program — the one that has been running quietly underneath every photo of the marina since the early 2000s — is structurally complete.

    That matters because the next 20 years of waterfront development at Waterfront Place — the 660 housing units at full build-out, the 447,500 square feet of office, the two hotels, the 63,000 square feet of retail and restaurants — all sit on top of, or directly behind, a marina that is now backed by modern bulkhead the entire length of Segment A through E.

    The Lane Closure Story

    The construction has required southbound lane closures on West Marine View Drive in the work zone, with traffic reduced to one lane in the affected section. Public access to the trail in that area has also been re-routed during the work window. If you have been driving north-south through the Port and noticing the cone line near Grand Avenue Park Bridge, that is the project. The lane closures end when the project ends — May 2026 is the target.

    How the Project Connects to the Port’s $70M 2026 Budget

    The Segment E work is being delivered out of the Port’s preservation and maintenance budget rather than its capital expansion budget. The Port Commission’s adopted $70 million 2026 budget — covered in our breakdown of what Everett’s waterfront is actually getting this year — sets aside $7.1 million for maintenance and preservation, including pier strengthening, marina bulkhead work, boat launch updates, and dredging. The Bergerson contract was awarded in May 2025, so Segment E is largely a 2025-funded project crossing into 2026, but the maintenance posture that allowed it sits squarely in the 2026 budget posture as well.

    That posture matters for residents and tenants. The Port is funding both the new buildings — $2.6 million in the 2026 budget for new public infrastructure and Waterfront Place retail and restaurant buildings — and the unglamorous work of keeping the existing marina structurally sound. Segment E is the second category.

    What Changes for Trail Users in May

    For everyday waterfront users, the most visible change in May will be the trail itself. The new ADA-compliant connection through the rebuilt wharf section closes a gap that has frustrated wheelchair users, stroller pushers, and anyone using the waterfront trail for the full distance. New landscaping, new decking, and a designed pedestrian separation from the roadway will turn what is currently a construction zone into a finished section of trail. The kind of walk that has been awkward for two decades — past wood pilings, narrow paths, and an unfinished feel — gets rebuilt to the standard the rest of the waterfront has been moving toward.

    What Comes Next

    With the bulkhead done, the next major Port construction milestone in the pipeline is the Jetty Landing renovation, which is anticipated to begin in 2027 per the Port’s 2026 budget plan. The Eclipse Mill Park Riverfront work — covered in our piece on why Everett’s riverfront signature park is now a spring 2028 opening — runs on its own timeline, with Phase 1 (City) running July to November 2026 and Phase 2 (Shelter Holdings) running fall 2026 through spring 2028. And the West Marine View Drive pipeline project — the $113 million combined sewer, stormwater, and water-main replacement we covered when council approved it April 2 — kicks off later this year just a few hundred feet north of where Bergerson is finishing up. The order of operations is intentional: stabilize the bulkhead, then dig the pipeline, then build the buildings.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the Segment E bulkhead and wharf project?

    It is a $6.75 million Port of Everett construction project replacing approximately 165 lineal feet of aging wooden bulkhead with steel piles along West Marine View Drive at Port Gardner Landing, near the Grand Avenue Park Bridge. The overwater wharf above it is also being rebuilt with new decking, an ADA-compliant trail connection, and new landscaping. Bergerson Construction is the contractor.

    When does the project finish?

    Construction began in early September 2025 and is targeted for completion in May 2026.

    Why does this affect State Route 529?

    The bulkhead structurally supports the embankment that holds State Route 529 / West Marine View Drive in place. Replacing the aging wooden structure with steel piles stabilizes the highway corridor above the marina for the long term.

    Will the lane closures end when the project ends?

    Yes. The southbound single-lane configuration on West Marine View Drive in the work zone is in place for the duration of construction and ends when Bergerson completes the project in May 2026.

    Is this part of Waterfront Place?

    Geographically yes — the work site is along the same waterfront corridor — but the project is funded out of the Port’s preservation and maintenance budget, not the Waterfront Place capital build-out. It is the unglamorous structural work that keeps the marina in place while the new buildings go up around it.

    Does the rebuilt wharf improve the waterfront trail?

    Yes. The new wharf section will include an ADA-compliant connection to the Port’s waterfront trail system, closing a long-standing accessibility gap, plus new landscaping and pedestrian separation from the roadway.

    Is this the last bulkhead replacement project?

    Yes. Segment E is the final phase of a roughly 20-year, segment-by-segment bulkhead replacement program along this stretch of the marina. When Bergerson finishes in May, the program is structurally complete.

  • 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.

  • Inside the Port of Everett’s Working Waterfront: What That Hat Island Ferry Tour Actually Shows You

    Inside the Port of Everett’s Working Waterfront: What That Hat Island Ferry Tour Actually Shows You

    Q: What does the Port of Everett harbor tour actually show you?

    A: The 90-minute tour aboard the 45-passenger Hat Island Ferry leaves the Port of Everett Marina, glides past the Waterfront Place destination side, then pivots into the working seaport — Pier 3, Norton Terminal, and the cargo yards that load oversized Boeing parts (777, 777X, 767, KC-46) onto barges every week. It is a $10 ride that explains why the Port supports more than 40,000 regional jobs and is the No. 2 export customs district in Washington state.

    Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., the Hat Island Ferry pulled away from the Port of Everett Marina with 45 of our neighbors aboard, and for the next 90 minutes we got the version of our waterfront most of us only ever drive past on Marine View Drive.

    The Port of Everett’s spring Working Waterfront Harbor Tour is back. The tour ran two sessions on April 23, 2026 — one at 3:30–5 p.m. and one at 5:30–7 p.m. — and the spring add to the existing summer harbor series is doing exactly what it should: showing residents what the largest public marina on the West Coast looks like from the water side.

    Why the harbor tour matters more than it sounds

    If you live in Everett and your impression of the Port is the rooftop at Tapped Public House and the public boat launch, you are missing roughly 80% of the operation. The destination waterfront — Waterfront Place, Boxcar Park, the Esplanade, the slips — is the part of the Port everybody sees. The seaport is the part almost nobody sees, and it is the reason the Port’s 2026 budget came in at $70 million.

    Port leadership built the harbor tour series to fix exactly that gap. The boat leaves the marina, runs north along the destination side so you get the rooftop-bar view of Waterfront Place from offshore, then crosses into the seaport where Pier 1, Pier 3, and Norton Terminal handle international cargo. That is where Boeing’s oversized parts get loaded onto barges. That is where Heidelberg Materials offloads aggregate. That is where roughly $21 billion in U.S. exports moves through every year, with combined import and export value north of $30 billion.

    The Boeing connection nobody talks about enough

    The Port of Everett handles 100% of the oversized aerospace parts for the 767, 777, 777X and KC-46 Tanker programs. Every wing skin, every fuselage barrel, every empennage section that comes by water on its way to the Boeing factory at Paine Field passes through the Port of Everett’s seaport facilities first.

    That is a long-term contract relationship. The Port has negotiated a long-term agreement with Boeing that locks the seaport into the aerospace manufacturing supply chain, and the harbor tour goes out of its way to show you exactly which slips and which yards handle the Boeing moves. If you have spent any time around the city wondering what the relationship between the airplane factory and the waterfront actually is — this is the boat ride that answers it.

    What you actually see from the water

    The Hat Island Ferry’s tour route hits the highlights:

    • The Sawyer and Carling apartment buildings — Waterfront Place’s residential anchors, now 95% leased, looming over the marina from the water side.
    • Restaurant Row — Tapped Public House’s rooftop, Fisherman Jack’s, Rustic Cork’s deck. From the water, the buildout reads as one continuous waterfront destination instead of three separate restaurants.
    • The Esplanade and Boxcar Park — including the new Bowen bronze sculpture installed this spring on the Central Marina esplanade.
    • Pier 3 and the cargo yards — where the actual seaport work happens. The contrast with the destination side is striking.
    • Norton Terminal — the Port’s newest cargo yard, a former mill site reclaimed under the Mills to Maritime initiative.
    • The South Terminal area — the Port’s $150 million Seaport Modernization investment over the past decade is most visible here.

    What the seaport actually does for the regional economy

    The numbers are easy to glaze over. They are also the reason the harbor tour exists.

    • 40,000+ regional jobs supported by Port operations.
    • $433 million contributed to state and local taxes annually.
    • #2 export customs district in Washington state.
    • #5 export district on the West Coast.
    • $21 billion in U.S. exports moving through annually.
    • $30 billion combined import-export value.

    And Norton Terminal alone — the cargo yard built on the old mill site — represents one of the most successful contaminated-site reclamations in the region. The Port spent more than a decade and $150 million modernizing and greening its maritime facilities, and the result is the newest deepwater cargo facility on the West Coast.

    What the spring tour adds to the regular series

    The Port already runs a Working Waterfront Harbor Tour series in summer. The April 23 dates are a new spring add — a single-day, two-session experiment that the Port introduced for 2026 to test demand outside the high-traffic summer months.

    If the spring tours sell well, expect the Port to expand the spring offering in 2027. If you missed the April 23 dates, the regular summer harbor tour series and the free community bus tours both pick up later in the season. Registration for the broader harbor tour series typically opens in mid-March; bus tours have separate signup. Tour information lives at portofeverett.com/porttours.

    Why this is a good first look at the working waterfront

    Most Port of Everett coverage right now — including ours — has focused on the redevelopment side. Waterfront Place. The Sawyer and Carling. Millwright District Phase 2. Marina Azul opening soon. Tapped Public House drawing lines on a Saturday night. That is the visible transformation, and it deserves the coverage.

    But the Port is not just a real estate developer. It is a working seaport. It moves cargo. It supports an aerospace supply chain. It runs marina operations for hundreds of pleasure-boat slips and commercial fishing boats. It is the reason aerospace parts can move from European factories to Paine Field on a barge instead of a 747 cargo plane. The harbor tour is the cleanest way to see all of that in 90 minutes.

    If you have lived in Everett for years and never been on the water with a Port staffer narrating what you are looking at, this is the easiest correction to make. We came back understanding the waterfront differently than we left.

    How to ride next time

    The spring tour was a one-day pop-up. The regular Working Waterfront Harbor Tour series runs through summer with multiple dates, $10 per ticket, registration through portofeverett.com/porttours. The free community bus tours of the seaport are a complementary land-side option for folks who would rather not be on a 45-passenger ferry. Sign up for the Port’s email list to get registration alerts.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How long is the Port of Everett harbor tour?
    The tour aboard the Hat Island Ferry runs roughly 90 minutes, with sessions at 3:30–5 p.m. and 5:30–7 p.m. on tour days.

    How much does the harbor tour cost?
    $10 per person.

    Where does the harbor tour leave from?
    The Port of Everett Marina, near the Hewitt Avenue Trestle entrance to Waterfront Place.

    What does the tour show you?
    The destination waterfront (Waterfront Place, Boxcar Park, the Esplanade, Restaurant Row) plus the working seaport — Pier 3, Norton Terminal, the cargo yards, and the slips that handle Boeing’s oversized aerospace parts for the 767, 777, 777X and KC-46 programs.

    How many jobs does the Port of Everett support?
    More than 40,000 regional jobs, contributing roughly $433 million in state and local taxes annually.

    Is the Port of Everett a real port or just a marina?
    Both. It operates the largest public marina on the West Coast and the No. 2 export customs district in Washington state. Roughly $21 billion in U.S. exports move through annually.

    When are the next harbor tours?
    The April 23 spring tour was a one-day pop-up. The regular Working Waterfront Harbor Tour series runs through summer with multiple dates. Registration and the schedule live at portofeverett.com/porttours.

    What is the Hat Island Ferry?
    The 45-passenger ferry that normally runs between Everett and Hat Island. The Port charters it for the Working Waterfront Harbor Tour series so visitors can see the seaport from the water.