PORT UPDATES
The Port’s La Conner Marina hosts a shipbuilder that builds passenger fer- ries for the San Francisco Bay market, illustrating the strong regional and cross-border connections that under- pin the Port’s success. Over the past 15 years, the Port of Skagit has invested heavily in mod- ernizing the airport, bringing it up to jet-service capable standards. The next phase — a planned runway extension within five years — will help open Skagit County’s markets to global air access. The Port’s attention is now turn- ing to the aging infrastructure at the La Conner Marina, where they hope to launch a waterfront revitalization effort to ensure long-term sustainabil- ity and community benefit. “Marinas are challenging economic puzzles,” Young noted, “but La Conner is vibrant, and we’re optimistic about preserving its vitality for generations to come.” One of the port’s most ambi- tious undertakings is the redevel- opment of the SWIFT Center, a 225-acre campus that once housed the historic Northern State Hospital. Decommissioned in the 1970s, the site features a number of historic build- ings that the port hopes to repurpose for community and economic use — including an event center and possible tourism and recreation facilities. Because the project extends beyond the Port’s traditional mission, Young said success will depend on partner- ships with local governments, the State of Washington, private investors, and a potential new nonprofit entity to par- allel the Port and provide support for the property moving forward. “We’re the lead, but this is not some- thing the Port can do alone,” Young emphasized. “Revitalizing the SWIFT Center is about collaboration, herit- age, and creating opportunity for our community.”
Sarah Young, Port of Skagit
With a focus on sustainable growth, community revitalization, and strategic collaboration, the Port of Skagit is positioning itself as a model for how smaller ports can drive regional development...
Stockton spans 4,000 acres, making it the second-largest port in the state by land area. The Port primarily handles bulk and breakbulk cargo across its 15 berths and 75 miles of internal rail track, but is open to potential limited capacity container movements in the future. A key project under discussion is a $330 million private investment tied to exporting soda ash from Green River, Wyoming, to Asian markets— a development that could more than double the port’s cargo volume. “It’s significant for us,” DeJesus said, not- ing that the initiative depends on a $6 billion mine expansion in Wyoming. On the sustainability front, the Port received a $110-million EPA Clean Ports Grant in late 2024. The fund- ing — secured through a joint applica- tion with the Ports of Long Beach and Oakland — will enable Stockton to
Potential future plans also include the development of camping and rec- reational amenities to draw visitors traveling along the Highway 20 cor- ridor toward the North Cascades National Park and Mount Baker. With a focus on sustainable growth, community revitalization, and strategic collaboration, the Port of Skagit is positioning itself as a model for how smaller ports can drive regional development well beyond the waterfront. Port of Stockton Kirk DeJesus, Executive Director for the Port of Stockton, outlined a series of ambitious developments aimed at mod- ernizing operations, boosting exports, and advancing clean energy goals at California’s inland deep-water port. Located in Central California on the San Joaquin River, the Port of
October/November 2025 — PACIFIC PORTS — 17
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