Port of Tacoma Commissioners voted unanimously on November 19 for final approval of the Port Maritime Center, paving the way for a 20-acre project that will bring new life and opportunity to the east side of the Foss Waterway in Tacoma.  

The Port-owned property will include Tacoma Public Schools’ Maritime|253 skills center, which will provide career and technical education to junior and senior high-school level students from across Pierce County free of charge. Tacoma Public Schools Board members gave their final approval on November 14. 

Maritime|253 will be built alongside a new Port business center, which will include commission chambers for public meetings and workspace for employees of the Port of Tacoma and The Northwest Seaport Alliance.  

The Port Maritime Center site fronts both the Foss Waterway and the smaller Wheeler-Osgood Waterway and will provide walking trails with interpretive signs and public shoreline access. The project is expected to be a catalyst for future development along the east side of the Foss Waterway.  

“Developing this type of project on the Tideflats is a complex challenge that the Port is uniquely qualified to take on. We are transforming historically contaminated land into collaborative ground where education, innovation and opportunity can take root and thrive,” said Port of Tacoma Commission President Kristin Ang. “The Port Maritime Center is a once-in-a-generation investment in our community and our environment. Together with Tacoma Public Schools and our community partners, we are working to inspire and build the maritime workforce of the future.” 

The Port of Tacoma’s Capital Investment Plan budgets $150 million for the Port’s portion of the project. The Port and school district are each paying for their own building with the school district contributing to the cost of site development work.  

"This partnership with the Port of Tacoma opens doors to careers that students might never have considered," said Tacoma Public Schools Board President Lisa Keating. "It's about providing real-world skills that will serve them well beyond high school and empowering them to play a part in Tacoma’s future." 

Environmental remediation on the site began this fall, with a groundbreaking for the construction phase expected early in 2025.  

Tacoma Public Schools anticipates completing construction of Maritime|253 by the fall of 2026, with the Port business office opening in early 2027.  

Maritime|253 programs will launch in the fall of 2025, using interim sites until construction is complete in 2026. Course offerings will include tracks in manufacturing, skilled trades, maritime sustainability, transportation, technology, and logistics.

The Port and school district announced a partnership in 2023 to pursue the Port Maritime Center project.  

TCF Architecture/BNBuilders is the design-build team for the project.