EVERETT, SEPT. 19: The Port of Everett announced yesterday that they have earned two Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).
The Port received a Silver Award in the Real Estate Development & Reuse category for its Norton Terminal Development & MTCA 3rd Interim Action Cleanup and a Bronze Award in the Innovative Economic Development category for its Blue Heron Slough Restoration project.
IEDC is a national non-profit organization and winners chosen showcase transformative projects that have “profoundly impacted communities, regions, and nations.”
“Port of Everett is setting the standard of excellence for economic development with its Norton Terminal and Blue Heron Slough cleanup and redevelopment projects,” IEDC President and CEO Nathan Ohle said. “These awards highlight the Port’s commitment to its community and demonstrates the transformative impact of economic development. It is with great pride that IEDC presents these awards to The Port of Everett, celebrating their leadership and innovation in the field of economic development.”
The Port of Everett’s 40-acre Norton Terminal opened in 2022, marking the first all-new cargo terminal to open on the U.S. West Coast in more than a decade.
The $40 million investment involved the environmental cleanup and redevelopment of the former Kimberly-Clark mill site to put it back into productive use after sitting vacant for 10 years.
Once opening, more than 3,500 containers and over 26,700 tons of project cargo have moved through the terminal.
“I’m so proud of our team for their innovation and commitment to designing projects in a way that improves the environment while also creating economic opportunities,” Port of Everett CEO Lisa Lefeber said. “It is wonderful to see our important regional accomplishments here in Snohomish County getting recognized on an international level.”
The Port of Everett’s 353-acre Blue Heron Slough project restored the Snohomish River estuary habitat between Everett and Marysville. In 2022, the Port returned the former farmland to its natural condition as an estuarine habitat to aid in Chinook salmon and bull trout recovery and support food supply for Southern Resident orcas in Puget Sound.
The restoration was completed in partnership with Wildlands and the Port Gardner Bay Trustees, comprised of the Tulalip Tribes, Suquamish Tribe, U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Washington State Department of Ecology.
Based off a press release from the Port of Everett.
