A $15,500,000 grant for improvements to the Everett waterfront was announced Wednesday by U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell, Parry Murray, and U.S. Representative Rick Larsen.
The grant will help the Port of Everett acquire a 58-acre brownfield site for the redevelopment of utilities, paving, and stormwater improvements related to maritime activity. The was deemed hazardous by the EPA in 2016 and isn't currently being used.
Funds will come from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) program.
“Investing in Everett’s working waterfront creates more maritime jobs and more economic development for the entire community. Cleaning up the former Kimberly-Clark mill site will expand opportunities for the port to continue investing in Everett’s cutting-edge maritime workforce,” Senator Cantwell said.
Local politicians hope the funds will support the community by providing economic development that accounts for the people that already live there while improving overall productivity of the area.
“I am thrilled that the Port of Everett has received this award, and thank our congressional delegation as well as the Department of Transportation for supporting this investment in our community. These dollars will go a long way toward restoring this former mill site back into productive economic use, adding even more jobs to our working waterfront," said Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin.