Fishermen's Terminal Redevelopment

Opened in 1914, Fishermen’s Terminal has been an anchor for the fishing industry and community in the Pacific Northwest for over a century. Fishermen’s Terminal and the maritime industry continue to be vital to our region now and into the future. The Port of Seattle’s vision for this historic area is to develop a living community landmark that supports the maritime industry.

Project overview

Fishermen’s Terminal is located on Salmon Bay in the Interbay neighborhood. It is home to Seattle’s commercial fishing fleet and has an array of restaurants, retail, and recreational opportunities while visiting. Learn what you can do while visiting Fishermen’s Terminal.

To prepare for the next century of commercial fishing and maritime industrial activity at the terminal, the Port has committed over $200 million in new investments as part of a long-term strategic redevelopment plan to maintain docks for commercial fishers, enhance uplands facilities for tenants and visitors, and accent Fishermen’s Terminal’s history and legacy. These improvements will ensure this important facility will continue to support and sustain the maritime industry and Seattle’s working waterfront and thrive as an anchor to a diverse maritime economy for Seattle and the region.

The Fishermen’s Terminal Redevelopment project continues to make upgrades and create opportunities to make space for this redevelopment. Many projects are currently underway, while others have been recently completed and future projects are in planning stages. 

Project spotlight

Maritime Innovation Center

The Port recently completed major construction of the Maritime Innovation Center building, formerly the Ship Supply Building, the oldest building in the Port’s portfolio. The tenant buildout comes next before it is ready to open. Get more information on this project below or visit the Maritime Innovation Center’s webpage. 

Projects in progress

Fishermen’s Center Building

The Fishermen’s Center Building, also known as the C15 building, is the centerpiece at Fishermen’s Terminal with almost 60,000 square feet of space. It is home to Port of Seattle offices, tenant office space, stores, and several small businesses. The building itself is just over 30 years old and in need of some repairs and upgrades. The main upgrades include a new rooftop overlay with solar panels and building exterior improvements including siding, windows, lighting, gutters, services, and new art installations.

Downie Building Demolition & Entrance/Exit Redevelopment Project

The Downie Building is a 15,460 square-foot, two-story multi-tenant office building built in 1978 with minimal improvements over time. The building will be demolished in Q4 2026. This area will expand the parking availability for visitors, tenants, and customers and will include multiple Electric Vehicle Charging parking stalls and feature a bio swell with native plantings to mitigate stormwater runoff. Additionally, the paving project will also include modifications to the main entrance of the terminal featuring a new bike lane, pedestrian crossings and new signage along with ADA updates within the FT area.  These improvements are scheduled to be completed in mid to late 2028.

Completed projects

Site Improvements

To enhance the public experience at Fishermen’s Terminal, the Port has invested in site improvements that tell the history and impact of the fishing industry and enhance site and safety for visitors and fishers. Improvements include landscape plantings, parking striping, crosswalk improvements, exterior furniture, interpretative signage, wayfinding signage, a new Fishermen’s Memorial monument sign, and modernized lighting.

• Interpretive Signage
  The Port has developed new interpretive signage to be installed throughout Fishermen’s Terminal that will provide a self-guided tour of the facility history and help visitors understand the complex maritime economy This project was led by a local historian who collected feedback from multiple stakeholders and consulted directly with tribal experts. See the layout of this interpretive signage.
• Wayfinding signage
  The bold new wayfinding signage will help visitors navigate around Fishermen’s Terminal. In black and yellow, it’s designed for accessibility and high contrast for visibility.
• Landscaping
  The new landscaping around the terminal features native plants that thrive in this climate and reflect the history of our region. The plants at the Maritime Innovation Center site are integral to the building’s sustainability updates and capture stormwater runoff from the building.

Maritime Innovation Center

The Maritime Innovation Center will help the region's maritime industry adopt advanced technologies and stimulate innovative entrepreneurship. The historic Ship Supply Building was restored and modernized into a 15,000-square-foot facility that features work and event space for new business incubators and accelerators and anchor tenants. Maritime Blue will be the tenant and operator if this building once opened. The Maritime Innovation Center is Living Building Challenge-certified in alignment with the Port's sustainability goals.

Nordby Conference Center Expansion

The Nordby Conference Center expanded to more than twice its original size to accommodate events, meetings, and classes of up to 50 people. Other improvements include a flexible layout that allows the space to be divided for multiple smaller, concurrent events, along with the addition of a sink and beverage station. These improvements took place in 2024, and the Center opened for use in Q1 2025.

Parking Lot and Sidewalk Improvements

The walkways and parking areas surrounding the Fishermen’s Center Building were modified to improved accessibility for all visitors and workers at the terminal. Improvements included new signage, sidewalk and ADA ramp updates, and additional safety adjustments. This work was completed by Q2 2025.

Public Art Program

The Port of Seattle has prioritized its public art program and dedicating funds to supporting art in the community. Fishermen’s Terminal has selected three artists to display their pieces as part of this redevelopment project.

Ty Juvinel
“Beach Seining” located at the Maritime Innovation Center
This artwork is a 12-foot aluminum creation inspired by a traditional community fishing practice rooted in collaboration. Read more about Ty’s background and his inspiration for this piece. Installed in 2026.

Shogo Ota
“Catch the Mural” is on the side of the net shed right next to the Maritime Innovation Center building. It spans about 180 feet long and about 17 feet tall and offers a colorful tribute to salmon and the people, communities, and fishing industry connected to them. Watch the video about the artist and the mural installation in 2026.

Mary Coss
Mary will have three net sculptures affixed to the Fishermen’s Center Building. Her art pieces will pay homage to the indigenous fishermen and women and enrich the narrative with cultural depth. The nets will be cast in bronze, display specific quotes, and will also feature neon-lit highlights that will be visible at night. The sculpture will be installed with improvements highlighted previously to the Fishermen’s Center (C15) Building.

Timeline

Other Information

• Visit Fishermen's Terminal
• History
• Seattle Fishermen's Memorial
• Community Events