At the Harbor History Museum, the transformation is nearly complete.

The enclosed Maritime Gallery along the water in Gig Harbor is built, allowing curators to start preparing the exhibit space.

The gallery is off the back of the museum and was previously a covered outdoor area, where the rain could still blow in. Now there are walls with big windows looking onto the harbor.

“I don't have to squeegee a half inch lake of rainwater up every morning,” said shipwright Riley Hall.

The centerpiece of the gallery is the Shenandoah, a fishing vessel built locally in 1925 and donated to the museum in 2000.

Port of Tacoma Commissioners on March 19 unanimously approved advancing the Port Maritime Center project to 60 percent design and amending a second interlocal agreement with Tacoma Public Schools. They also approved a technical correction to a master benefits and salary resolution and a proclamation recognizing Women’s History Month.

The Port of Tacoma Commission on March 19 approved funding to bring the Port Maritime Center project to 60% design.

The Port Maritime Center campus will feature a new Port of Tacoma office building along with the Maritime|253 skills center, which will be built and operated by Tacoma Public Schools.

The Port also released images of the conceptual design, which is planned on Port-owned property along the Foss Waterway across from Downtown Tacoma.

Aboard the M/V Doolin-Rogers, it’s not just a sea voyage.

It’s a journey.

“I'm stoked, man. It's so cool. I want to be a marine biologist,” said Ayla Macary, a student at Tacoma Public Schools’ Science and Math Institute.

Dreams are nurtured aboard the Doolin-Rogers, the new training vessel of the Youth Marine Foundation, which is based at the Tacoma Youth Marine Center on Port of Tacoma property.

Port of Tacoma Commissioners on February 21 approved a master benefits and salary resolution and a vendor agreement for employee medical coverage. Commissioners also approved travel to an international conference.

The green energy transition is beginning in the vehicle fleet at the Port of Tacoma, with the arrival of charging stations and four new electric SUVs. In January, employees in the Port’s maintenance department began putting four Ford Mustang Mach-Es into service, adding Port logos to their doors. Soon, they’ll be used by Port employees traveling for business across the Tacoma Tideflats and beyond.

Port of Tacoma Commissioners on February 1 approved a proclamation honoring Black History Month. They also authorized contract legal funding for cost recovery litigation under the Model Toxics Control Act against Burlington Environmental, LLC. Commissioners also heard a progress report on the Port’s 2023 Strategic Plan action items.

In honor of Black History Month, hear from four members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) as they reflect on the struggles and successes within the union to build a more inclusive culture on the working waterfront. The careers of Rodney Rhymes, Mike Chambers, Wilt Watkins and Zeek Green span several decades at the Port of Tacoma, from the 1980s to the present.

ILWU members move marine cargo at facilities managed by The Northwest Seaport Alliance, the operating partnership between the Port of Tacoma and the Port of Seattle.

Trees provide a variety of environmental benefits like cleaner air and water, cooling shade, and reduced noise pollution. Just looking at trees has been shown to reduce stress. There is also a correlation between community trees and social connections. In other words, trees bring people together. Last weekend, trees brought community members together here at the Port!