PORT TOWNSEND — The Northwest Maritime Center board plans to build both of the center’s structures at once.
It just doesn’t know how it will finance it.
“We took an incremental step at the last board meeting,” said Stan Cummings, Northwest Maritime Center executive director.
“We’re trying to figure out how to do it as one project.”
The Northwest Maritime Center — which will encompass a total of 27,000 square feet in two buildings — is planned at the Hudson Point Marina at the end of Water Street.
It’s intended to planned to enhance maritime education and heritage learning in the region, and would sustain and expand the Wooden Boat Foundation’s programs, activities and services.
The board had once planned to build the structures separately but now the consensus among board members, staffers and project architectural consultants Mill/Hull is to construct both buildings to save on soaring construction costs, Cummings said.
The board also plans to use Carlsborg-based Primo Construction as the contractor because the company came in with the low bid on the project.
Cummings, however, stressed that the contact has not been formally awarded.
Cost negotiations must be worked through, and the board must decide how to finance the entire project at once, rather than constructing one building at a time.
The board and Primo also must work out when the company will begin construction.
Primo is now constructing a transit center in downtown Port Angeles.
It also remodeled part of the Castle Hill shopping center used by Jefferson County Public Health and the Department of Community Development.
