The Port of Everett made it official this week signing a deal to bring new life back to the historic Weyerhaeuser Building sitting in Boxcar Park at the edge of the water in Everett, Washington. Here’s the scoop.
The building will house a whiskey and coffee bar/museum.
The agreement includes plans to renovate the 1920s-era waterfront icon to serve as The Muse – a new whiskey bar and coffee shop, as well as provide meeting space for the valued boating clubs at the Port of Everett Marina. The Port is investing up to $1 million to get the building ready to accept tenant improvements anticipated to begin later this year.
The building is set to open on its centennial in 2023, allowing public access to this unique piece of history for the first time in more than 20 years.
“We are so fortunate that we found a tenant passionate about this building and has agreed to partner with us on the adaptive reuse of this building to get it back open for public enjoyment in a meaningful way,” Port of Everett CEO Lisa Lefeber said. “The tenant has also agreed to have the building serve as a museum of the rich history of the building and timber industry on the Everett waterfront.”
The ornate Gothic-style structure was designed by Carl Gould and built in 1923. Though it looks more like a house, the one-and-a-half-story building served as the timber company’s administration office. The Weyerhaeuser Building, which has moved three times and is in its fourth and final location at the Port’s Boxcar Park, still has the 160-ton safe that stored the mill’s payroll as well as the money from company local lumber sales.
The Muse will soon offer a place where you can enjoy a beverage, lite bites, conversation, and waterfront views, all while taking a step back to an earlier time.
“It feels like it’s meant to be,” said Jack Ng, owner of Weyerhaeuser Muse LLC. “This building has been waiting for me for 32 years – straight out of a story, “open sesame” and I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. The Weyerhaeuser Building opened back on March 23, 1923. I immigrated to America on March 23, 1990, so this project is symbolic for me. As such, we are planning a grand re-opening celebration on the building’s centennial on March 23, 2023.”
The Port will maintain ownership of the historic structure and is responsible for providing a useable interior space for the tenant while maintaining the exterior. It is estimated to cost approximately $1 million (for which the Port is seeking grant funding opportunities) to bring it to a condition to begin tenant improvements.
The work includes, but is not limited to, the repair/replacement of all windows to historic standards, interior renovations, ADA accessibility upgrades, utilities upgrades, modernization of restrooms, and exterior landscape improvements. The Port has structured the rent and profit sharing to cover the Port’s investments to this historic resource and allow this public access amenity to open to visitors.
The Port has future plans to redevelop the 2-acre park surrounding the building and is actively seeking a new partnership to add a waterfront performance venue off the west side of the building.
March 20, 2022
Everett Economy