Save the Collins Building
Description:
The 75 year young 3-story building, located at 1210 W. Marine View Drive on Everett’s waterfront, is built like a fort. The Collins building is a classic example of post and beam, wood frame construction, used for large manufacturing buildings in the early 1900s. It contains 60,000 square feet total on 3 floors, with flooring made of full dimension 2×4s stacked on end. Posts are a solid 12×12 iron wood. Built on pilings over tidelands on Port Gardner Bay, it is now surrounded by loading and parking lots. The long distinctive banks of pane glass windows are trimmed in white with brick red siding — reminiscent of the Boeing Red Barn at the Museum of Flight. See photos below of the public rally on February 21, 2009
There’s no way we’re going to allow anyone to tear down that beautiful building on our watch. We’ve got to figure out a viable plan.
1.) Since December 2008 there have been numerous discussions about various approaches to save and restore the building. The Port at their 2/10/ 09 monthly meeting again expressed their desire to demolish the building.
Progress:
There have been a number of meetings and discussions amongst the parties interested in saving the building although as of this writing here’s the progress that has been made:
1.) A rally at the Collins Building was held at noon Saturday Feb. 21
2.) With Maritime Trust unable to secure financing the entire Port Gardner Wharf project is on hold.
3.) We met with John Mohr and Connie Niva to discuss a few possible options including:
a.) Leave the building standing until the next development company designs a new plan for our waterfront development. maybe they want to use the building like Maritime Trust did.
b.) It’s going to cost in excess of one million dollars to tear down the building and remediate the site. There are far better things the State can do these days with one million dollars.
c.) Actively attempt to interest suitable tenants in the space.
d.) We’ve asked the Port to develop a one page fact sheet on the building answering typical questions a prospective buyer would ask such as;
1.) Are you willing to sell the building and the land?
2.) What is your asking price?
3.) Are there any sort of tax credits (Federal, State or local) available?
4.) What shape is the building in?
5.) What is the cost to renovate the building?
6.) Is the Port willing to manage the property or have a management company lease space in the building?
7.) If the building or the land are not for sale what is the length of the lease agreement?
8.) What amount of leasehold improvement dollars are available to tenants?
9.) Who is your ideal owner or tenant?
10.) Are there any restrictions on what type of businesses the building could be used for?
11.) What is the status of the Warf Development project?
12.) What Port established rules and guidelines does the building owner/tenant need to abide by?
13.) Does the building’s “Historic” status put further restrictions on potential owners / tenants?
e.) Encourage the Port use the Collins Building as their home.
Next Steps:
Project Manager:
President Historic Everett Valerie Steel valerie@greeningproperties.com
Volunteers:
Paul Donovan Pauld@construx.com
Russ Kastleman drydock04@yahoo.com
Annie Lyman annielyman1230@yahoo.com
Good Contacts:
Port of Everett
Historic Everett
Help Needed:
Links:
Historic Everett http://www.historiceverett.org/CollinsAlliance.html
Port of Everett http://www.portofeverett.com/home/index.asp?page=72
http://dhweb.sv.publicus.com/article/20090211/NEWS01/702119757/0/FRONTPAGE
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/snohomishcountynews/2003983978_casket31n.html
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080414/NEWS01/113757717
Photos:
WANTED: It would be helpful to have a number of interior and exterior shots of the unique architectural elements of the building such as the stacked 2×4 walls, the large interior timbers, the windows, etc.
