PORT OF SEATTLE
MEMORANDUM
COMMISSION AGENDA
Item No.
4a
Date of Meeting
May 3, 2011
DATE: April 28, 2011
TO: Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
FROM: Jane Kilburn, Director, Public Affairs
SUBJECT: Special Order of Business: The Port Centennial 1911-2011
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.
From the earliest days, the Port of Seattle has been committed to maintaining public access and
building the area’s finest waterfront facilities. This year, from May 1st to 26th, the community
celebrates the working waterfront during the annual Maritime Festival, which is designed to
highlight the importance of our maritime industry in Puget Sound’s economy. This year’s
festival theme celebrates the Port’s Centennial and features the 60
th
Annual Maritime Day
Luncheon, a Maritime Career Day, Stories of the Sea Poetry Competition and Family Fun Day.
The Festival is one of the best occasions for local residents to reconnect with Seattle’s maritime
heritage and experience this vibrant sector of Seattle’s economy. In addition to the world’s
largest tugboat races, Family Fun Day features free harbor cruises, a chowder cook-off, survival
suit races, a Quick and Dirty Boat Building competition and lots of family fun. It is held on
Saturday, May 14 at Pier 66 at the Bell Street Pier, Pier 66.
The Port operates four recreational marinas on the Seattle waterfront. The Bell Harbor Marina is
the City’s only downtown recreational marina and is located close to some of Seattle’s most
visited attractions, such as the aquarium, Pike Place Market, the Seattle Center and the Space
Needle. Downtown shopping, restaurants and hotels are also nearby. The Bell Harbor Marina
has moorage for about 70 boats.
Shilshole Bay Marina is King County’s largest public marina and a vital part of our waterfront.
The Port obtained the first piece of land for Shilshole Bay Marina in 1931, but, stifled by the
Great Depression and World War II, it took thirty years before its improved facilities were ready
for dedication during the Seattle World’s Fair, Century 21 Exposition, in 1962. The Leif Erikson
statue, one of the most well-known features at Shilshole, was a gift to Seattle from the
Norwegian American community and was originally unveiled during the Seattle World’s Fair in
June 1962.
Although primarily a commercial fishing facility, freshwater monthly and guest recreational
moorage is available at the Port's historic Fishermen's Terminal, located on Seattle's Salmon Bay
near Ballard. Slips are available for vessels ranging from 20 to 60, and linear dockage is
COMMISSION AGENDA
T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
April 28, 2011
Page 2 of 2
available for vessels up to 250 feet. In addition to the freshwater location, and proximity to Lake
Union/Lake Washington, the terminal also offers a full complement of services.
Located south of downtown Seattle on the Duwamish River, Harbor Island Marina, the Port’s
fourth marina, is convenient to West Seattle and the South Sound. The freshwater marina
provides permanent monthly moorage for 77 vessels ranging from 24 to 70 feet.
All of the Port’s marinas have earned an EnviroStars rating awarded by King County Department
of Natural Resources & Parks. EnviroStars designations are given to businesses for solid waste
recycling programs and proactive leadership in promoting responsible environmental practices
and boater education.
In addition to connecting boaters with Puget Sound in an environmentally sustainable manner,
the Port of Seattle’s four recreational boating facilities generate 350 direct, indirect and induced
jobs; nearly $14 million in annual business revenue; $7.8 million in local purchases; and $2.0
million in state and local taxes.
OTHER DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SPECIAL ORDER:
PowerPoint presentation.
