Project includes new Port business office and Tacoma Public Schools’ Maritime|253 skills center
The Port of Tacoma and Tacoma Public Schools broke ground January 8 on the 20-acre Port Maritime Center project.
The Port Maritime Center campus will be built on Port-owned land across from downtown Tacoma. It will include a new Port business office and Tacoma Public Schools’ Maritime|253 skills center.
Maritime|253 will provide career and technical education to junior and senior-level high school students from across Pierce County, bringing opportunities to more members of the community and helping fill a growing need for workers in the trades and the maritime industry.
“The Port Maritime Center will be the new front door to the Port of Tacoma, allowing us to better connect with the community and bringing new life to the east side of the Foss Waterway,” said Port of Tacoma Commission President John McCarthy. “Our unique partnership with Tacoma Public Schools makes this a transformational project that will help inspire and grow the future of the maritime industry in our region. Thank you to all the Port staff and others who have worked so hard to get this project to where it is today, ready to break ground and start construction.”
“Years of hard work, dedication, and collaboration have brought us here,” said Tacoma Public Schools’ Board President Korey Strozier. “We’re shaping the future of maritime in our region and opening doors for more young people to step into an industry that’s critical to our community’s growth. This is a proud and exciting moment for all of us.”
In November, both the Port of Tacoma Commission and the Tacoma Public Schools Board gave final approval for the project in unanimous votes.
Maritime|253 will open to students in the fall of 2026, with the Port business office opening in spring 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 programs will be available to students from across Pierce County free of charge.
“Washington has been singled out as having the nation’s best economy, and we know a strong economy depends on a well-trained workforce,” said House Speaker Laurie Jinkins. “This investment in our maritime workforce and the future of our state’s maritime industry will help keep us at the forefront of innovation and support good-paying jobs for Washington families.”
“This collaboration between the Port of Tacoma and Tacoma Public Schools will serve as a gateway for our students—connecting them to hands-on, career-focused education in the maritime industry while completing their high school studies," said Mayor Victoria Woodards. "This project is a testament to what we can achieve when we invest in education, workforce development, and the industries that make Tacoma thrive."
The Port business center will be a 60,000 square foot, two and a half story building, meant to invoke a maritime theme and complement other architecturally significant buildings in Tacoma. The building will provide commission meeting chambers and workspace for employees of the Port of Tacoma and The Northwest Seaport Alliance. The building will have sustainable features, such as solar panels, and is expected to earn the equivalent of LEED Silver certification.
Both buildings were designed by TCF Architecture and will be built by BNBuilders.
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