By Karen Robes Meeks
This month, the Port of Everett Commission endorsed plans to ink a long-term lease with a developer to build a 142-room flagship Hotel Indigo in Fisherman’s Harbor at Waterfront Place.
Waterplace LLC, in partnership with Columbia Hospitality, was selected for its hotel concept, which pay homage to the port’s global impact and complements the nearby Pacific Rim Plaza, which honors Everett’s international trading relationships.
The deal includes the construction and management of an 86,163-square-foot hotel under a 50-year land lease, with three 10-year options.
"The Port team received proposals from three well-known and qualified hotel operators to serve as the anchor tenant for Fisherman’s Harbor," said Terrie Battuello, the port’s chief of business development. "Ultimately, we selected Columbia Hospitality because of their Hotel Indigo flag that prides their facilities on embracing the character and history of the communities that they operate in, and the Waterfront Place story is the heart and soul of this new waterfront community."
Hotel Indigo is slated for construction in January 2018 and will feature a restaurant, lounge, indoor swimming pool, conference center, retail shops and business center, as well as pedestrian-friendly walkways and public spaces.
"We are honored to collaborate with the Port of Everett on what will be a transformational project for the downtown Everett waterfront," said John Oppenheimer, Columbia Hospitality founder and CEO. "Our collective goal is to create an incredible destination for locals, tourists and businesses alike, stimulating economic growth for Snohomish County."
The hotel will open in conjunction with SeaLevel Properties, a residential development set to be ready in mid-2019.
All this will be located at Fisherman’s Harbor, Phase One of the 65-acre Waterfront Place Central mixed use development.
This year, port officials commenced a $12 million public infrastructure program for new roadways on Seiner Drive and 14th Street, the Esplanade trail system, Pacific Rim Plaza, landscaping for all the public spaces and a new pipeline in the City of Everett’s Puget Sound stormwater infrastructure within the site. Improvements should be completed in 2018, according to the port.
