PORT ANGELES — A presentation to Port of Port Angeles commissioners on the design of the Feiro Marine Life Center’s new educational and scientific facility abruptly was canceled Tuesday, the same morning it was scheduled to take place.
Feiro Executive Director Deborah Moriarty said later Tuesday that she asked Scott Horner of the Bainbridge Island-based planning, design and construction management firm BIOS LLC not to give the presentation after she learned of it in the Tuesday edition of the Peninsula Daily News.
‘We’re not ready for it’
“We’re not ready for it,” Moriarty said, adding that marine life center officials still don’t know how much they need to raise for the expansion.
Port Director of Engineering Chris Hartman said Horner called him Tuesday morning to cancel the 9:15 a.m. presentation.
The new center will require port approval for use of a port dock for water intake for Feiro.
Two-phase project
Neeser Construction Inc. of Anchorage, Alaska, intends to begin construction in July on phase one of a two-phase, two-building project on a long-vacant parcel at the corner of Oak and Front streets where the marine life center would be located.
Neeser Project Administrator Gary Donnelly said in January the company had a final agreement with property owner Tod McClaskey Jr., owner of Olympic Lodge in Port Angeles, to buy the parcel long known as the Oak Street property but has yet to do so.
Phase one consists of a 27,000-square-foot building that would house Feiro, a conference center and retail space.
Moriarty said she is “very confident” a new facility will be built.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
