PORT ANGELES — Amid an active slate of capital projects, the Port of Port Angeles has issued a request for qualifications for a new manufacturing facility at its Composite Manufacturing Campus near William R. Fairchild International Airport.
The port is seeking an architectural and engineering team to design a roughly 125,000-square-foot manufacturing building intended for aerospace composite production.
Port Director of Engineering Chris Hartman said the project will follow a design-bid-build procurement process, which he said offers the most direct path forward given the scale, tight timeline and required state approvals.
“When you look at alternative procurement methods, there are a lot of approvals and steps on the front end,” port CEO Paul Jarkiewicz said.
“In this case, the design-bid-build process gives us the most straightforward path to keep the project moving forward.”
Responses are due Jan. 30, although that date might be pushed out. The port anticipates making a decision in February.
Advertising for bids for the log yard stormwater and site improvement project, including grading, paving and construction, were published on Jan. 9. The bids are due Feb. 11, with a contract award expected later that month.
Hartman said the $14 million project will be funded through a mix of federal, state and port sources.
Meanwhile, commissioners Connie Beauvais, Steve Burke and Colleen McAleer unanimously approved an amendment to a professional services agreement with Kennedy Jenks, authorizing $353,920 for construction administration, inspection and services tied to the stormwater project.
The project is being driven by a state Department of Ecology order requiring the port have an operational stormwater treatment system by the end of the year.
Commissioners also adopted a resolution to authorize the sale of two sailboats at the Port Angeles Boat Haven: one with unpaid fees of $15,744.21 and the other with $3,133.20 in unpaid fees.
Marine trades manager Marty Marchant said the Mariah has been occupying a slip that is a particularly desirable moorage site, and its removal would free space for another boat.
Marchant said the port always tries to work with vessel owners when it comes to resolving unpaid moorage fees, but a public auction is frequently the only solution.
Under state law, vessels with outstanding marina fees can be treated as abandoned and sold to recover the money owed.
Jennifer Butler, the port’s director of finance and administration, reported that the port ended November with a year-to-date operating surplus of about $3.5 million before depreciation and more than $20 million in cash and investments at the end of December.
Commissioners unanimously approved up to $10,000 in cash and in-kind support for a Sequim School District career and technical education project to build a 12-by-20-foot structure for small-engine repair instruction. The project is intended to expand hands-on learning while strengthening connections between middle school and high school programs.
CTE director Ned Floeter and agricultural sciences instructor Bill McFarlen said local businesses have been supportive of the CTE program, with Hartnagel Building Supply in Port Angeles and Thomas Building Center in Sequim providing materials and assistance.
Beauvais suggested Floeter and McFarlen contact Interfor or a similar timber business to arrange for students to visit their operations so they can learn about lumber production.
“I’m just so glad to see our school districts connecting with our local industries,” McAleer said, noting that this kind of coordination was largely absent several years ago.
Halibut derby
During public comment, Bob Beausoleil of the Port Angeles Salmon Club said the club is reviving its Memorial Day weekend halibut derby, the first since 2016. He asked the port to waive boat launch fees and to allow trailer parking in the log yard, assistance the port has previously provided. The city of Port Angeles’ Lodging Tax Advisory Committee has contributed $10,000 toward prizes, he said.
Beausoleil noted the club has been rebuilding its membership, growing from about six or seven to roughly 40 to 50 members.
“The interest is there in the community,” he said.
Commissioners also elected officers for 2026, naming Beauvais president, Burke vice president and McAleer vice president.
Commissioners unanimously approved minutes and the 2025 annual financial report for the Port of Port Angeles Industrial Development Corporation, and briefly reviewed its role as the port’s conduit issuer for industrial development bonds as financing options for future projects.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
