New $12 million marine center envisioned for Port Angeles — Port Angeles Port Townsend Sequim Forks

PORT ANGELES — Some time in the next five years, an “iconic” 27,902- square-foot, $ 12.6 million marine life education and research building could rise in downtown Port Angeles to anchor the new waterfront area, according to those who hope to see the change.The Feiro Marine Life Center, the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and the city have released a feasibility study for a shared facility.The study calls for a 4,500-square-foot exhibit area, wet and dry classrooms, wet and dry marine laboratories, a dive room, a 5,800-square-foot conference center, and offices for administrators, scientists and graduate students working with both the marine center and the sanctuary.“We are all very excited about the possibilities and look forward to moving forward as quickly as possible,” Deborah Moriarty, director of the Feiro Marine Life Center on City Pier, said recently.“Each partner is indispensable to the success of the project,” she added.The study by the Miller Hull Partnership proposes an “iconic” building, one that will visually anchor the downtown area.No current plan has yet been developed but it should be spectacular, Moriarty said.“We want people to say, ‘Look at that! We want to go there,’” Moriarty said.The next step, she said, is to choose a location and pay an architect for the facility.Port Angeles is an active partner in the project and has three priorities, said Nathan West, director of economic development for the city.The first is to get others to invest in the waterfront improvement project. The second is to support the two employers who would tenant the building and expand their current operations. And the third is to add meeting space, West said.“We all have need for more meeting space,” he said.Two funding and construction scenarios were developed.Under the first, Feiro would own the building, and about half of the facility’s space would be leased to the sanctuary, The second creates a third-party owner and developer, with both organizations as tenants.The sanctuary is not in a position to participate in the purchase or development of the property but expects to be able to commit to a long-term lease, said Carol Bernthal, sanctuary superintendent.A contribution of initial capital for construction would depend on congressional approval of construction funding for the sanctuary, which is a federal facility, she said.The sanctuary headquarters currently occupy a 7,150-square-foot space in The Landing mall on Railroad Avenue, and Feiro’s building on nearby City Pier totals 3,500 square feet.Both organizations have outgrown their current quarters, and have been seeking a way to move to a larger space.A combined facility would “maximize space efficiency and minimize up-front construction costs,” according to the study.If each organization expanded into a separate facility, the sanctuary would require 20,377 square feet to meet its current needs, while Feiro would need a 14,407-square-foot facility, according to the study.By sharing such facilities as classrooms, laboratories and a conference center, the total amount of space needed is reduced from 34,784 square feet to the proposed 27,902 square foot facility. Easy access to the water is a priority for both organizations. The sanctuary, a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, needs access to a pier.While the sanctuary’s 36-foot research vessel, the RV Tatoosh, is docked at Port Angeles Boat Haven or in LaPush, there is a need for close access to load and unload equipment and samples at the laboratories, as well as mooring for visiting NOAA vessels and for science open-house events, Bernthal said.Feiro must have access to fresh seawater for the live exhibit tanks, and an adjacent beach area is necessary for educational programs.The feasibility study identified two primary possible locations for the combined marine center on the Port Angeles waterfront — on the same site as the current Feiro building or the corner of North Oak Street and Railroad Street, adjacent to the planned West End Park, which is expected to feature newly restored beaches.According to the study, “the use of this highly visible site would likely boost development at this end of town and kick-start general economic momentum in the downtown core. “With its civic intersection and connection to the park, this site would boost the project’s exposure to the community and increase its recognition, affording it the potential to become a true icon.”But the study also noted that the city would have to alter plans for the West End Park and negotiate with a private seller.The City Pier location would restrict possible future expansion of the facilities, and the city would retain ownership of the land under the building, but it has an existing saltwater system, reducing some costs of construction and permitting, the study said.Berenthal and Morarity agreed that neither property provided a clear advantage over the other.“Either one could work,” Bernthal said.The full text of the study is available at www.tinyurl.com/cezqb6o. Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.