April 3, 2025

Everett Municipal Building getting a $36M upgrade

Photo via city of Everett [enlarge]

The Everett Municipal Building dates to 1980.

Construction is underway on an extensive modernization of the Everett Municipal Building (EMB) at 2930 Wetmore Ave.

The 10-story, mid-rise office building dates to 1980 and is getting a total refresh. The project comprises tenant improvements and the modernization of aging systems at the 117,800-square-foot property.

Seattle firm Mackenzie is the architect.

System upgrades include the modernization of elevator systems, HVAC equipment and controls upgrades, a reroof of the building, and a new emergency generator and transfer switch. Tenant improvements include new lighting, doors, hardware, flooring and paint and are focused on the lobby, corridors and workspaces on multiple floors to create a better and more modern workplace for city of Everett employees.

The EMB houses various city services and administrative teams, including the mayor and City Council, City Clerk, City Attorney, and centralized teams like Human Resources and Information Technology, along with some non-city tenants.

BNBuilders is the general contractor for the modernization, which should be completed next year.

The total estimated cost of the improvements is $36 million. Funding comes from a combination of city utility and general funds.

Rendering by Mackenzie [enlarge]

Mackenzie is designing the upgrades which include a host of tenant improvements.

The city is also planning to redevelop its Public Works Service Center campus at 3200 Cedar St. That multi-building complex spans 12 acres and has five buildings and two annexes that currently house Public Works, Motor Vehicles, Transit Operations, and elements of the Parks & Facilities departments. The city says redevelopment is necessary as all the buildings on the site are at or near the end of their useful life. The average facility age is 51 years old.

The proposal is to close and redevelop the existing center campus and build a new Public Works Operations & Maintenance Center at a separate location. The preferred location for the new center is the city-owned Everett Point Industrial Center (EPIC) site. EPIC is situated along the west shore of the Snohomish River, east of Interstate 5 and downtown Everett. Public Works currently has a materials handling area and storage yard at the property. EPIC borders the mixed-use riverfront development, which is being built out in phases by Taylor Morrison and related entity Shelter Holdings.

Makers Architecture & Urban Design of Seattle led the site selection process for the new Public Works Operations & Maintenance Center. The architect for the new center has not been publicly shared, but the city says design and construction are anticipated in the 2026-2032 timeframe. (Editor’s note: a previous version of this story incorrectly identified Makers as the architect for the new center).

The project scope also includes the construction of a new road bridge to provide access to and from the EPIC site. Current access is limited to an at-grade railway crossing that is often blocked by rail traffic for extended amounts of time. The new bridge would have transportation facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles. The exact location of the crossing is still being ironed out.

The estimated cost for the new center and bridge is between $120 million and $180 million.

The city is exploring redevelopment opportunities for the current service center campus, which remains open.

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