PORT OF SEATTLE
MEMORANDUM
COMMISSION AGENDA
Item No.
4a
Date of Meeting
March 1, 2011
DATE: February 18, 2011
TO: Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
FROM: Jane Kilburn, Director, Public Affairs
SUBJECT: Special Order of Business: The Port Centennial 1911-2011
BACKGROUND:
In celebration of the Port of Seattle’s Centennial, at the first meeting of every month in 2011, the
Port will share a moment of the Port’s history.
In March 1911, the Washington State Legislature approved a law allowing the establishment of
public port districts. On September 5, 1911, the voters of King County voted overwhelmingly
for public ownership of the waterfront and the creation of a port district to be known as the Port
of Seattle.
The Port started with just six properties focused on waterborne commerce, commercial fishing,
grain export and fruit and cold storage. Those enterprises are still thriving, and the Port has since
grown to include air travel, air cargo, cruise line operations and recreational boat moorage in its
lines of business. Today the Port has expanded to 27 facilities over 2,000 acres, including 20
public parks. Port-owned properties support nearly 120,000 direct jobs, and many more
industry-related jobs, generating $17.6 billion in revenue for businesses and tenants.
OTHER DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SPECIAL ORDER:
Notice of Special County Election – September 5, 1911
