Moving a 350-ton piece of history is no simple task, but it's an honorable one. The 93-year-old Weyerhaeuser mansion pays homage to Everett's maritime industry.
"It's an iconic structure of the Everett waterfront that ties into the old mill aspect of Everett's waterfront history," explained port director Les Reardanz.
Reardanz says the houses's four-hour trip down Marine View Drive to Boxcar Park along the water is really a journey home and the beginning of a much bigger project.
"The waterfront itself, the new community, will have about 660 housing units, restaurants, a couple hotels and mixed-use development on it," Reardanz said.
Waterfront Place -- the port's redevelopment project -- has been in the works since 2005, and the port expects to break ground next year.
We met Bob Wright at the marina, where he has moored his boat since the place was just gravel.
“We used to park in a big mud hole at B dock gate and now that's Anthony's," Wright explained, pointing towards the restaurant.
Bob met his wife in that Anthony's and got married on this marina. He loves how the waterfront has blossomed and supports the new development, but developers may not feel the same.
"Nobody has committed yet?" we asked Reardanz.
“Not yet because there are a lot of structural deal points we need to work with them on," he told us.
The port is confident, however, that the Weyerhaeuser mansion's homecoming is just what's needed to get the rest of the project off the ground.
This will be the third time the mansion has been moved. Last time, a barge was used to transport it to its current location.
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