Major Projects
Blair Waterway Deepening Program
To remain competitive in the shipping industry, the Port of Tacoma and The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) have made major investments, including improving docks and purchasing larger cranes. The next phase of this effort is to deepen the Blair Waterway to accommodate larger container ships. The project will deepen the federal channel in the Blair Waterway by six feet, to -57 feet mean lower low water (MLLW).
East Commencement Habitat Opportunity (ECHO)
Since the early 2000s, the Port has been looking to build a mitigation and restoration site in eastern Commencement Bay. This 20-plus acre site is one of the last best places in the bay for nearshore restoration.
The Port is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study the feasibility of using clean dredge material from the Blair Waterway Deepening Program to create the East Commencement Habitat Opportunity (ECHO) site.
Maritime Center
The Maritime Center will be a landmark campus on the Tacoma waterfront, home to a new Port of Tacoma business office building and Tacoma Public Schools’ new Maritime|253 skills center. The proposed location is on the east side of the Foss Waterway, just south of the Murray Morgan Bridge (11th Street Bridge). Maritime|253 will provide opportunities for high school students across Pierce County and help develop a future maritime workforce.
Find out more on the Maritime Center project page.
Off-Dock Container Support Facility
The Port is in the process of developing a new Off-Dock Container Support Facility on three Port-owned parcels (total of 24.5 acres) east of Thorne Road and north of Maxwell Way in the Tideflats.