The Maritime|253 Skills Center is one major step closer to completion: The building on Tacoma’s waterfront is nearly “dried-in.” In construction terms, that means the building’s exterior envelope is almost done, with just a few openings left for doors and windows. Once the building is dried-in, the interior can be fully protected from the elements, allowing crews to safely begin installing weather-sensitive systems like insulation, electrical, sheetrock and mechanical equipment.

Funded by the 2020 school construction bond approved by Tacoma voters, the future skills center stands at 42,460 square feet of enclosed learning space, plus an additional 6,420 square feet of covered outdoor work areas. The 21.1-acre site, owned by the Port of Tacoma, will also host the Port’s new Maritime Business Center, now rising alongside the school.

Beyond classrooms and labs, the site will soon welcome the community, offering public access to the waterfront, a lighted walkway and promenade along the Thea Foss and Wheeler-Osgood waterways, seating, landscaping, and opportunities to get close to the water.