Gov. Jay Inslee today handed over the keys to the future Sedro-Woolley Innovation for Tomorrow (SWIFT) Center to the Port of Skagit. The 225-acre property will be developed into a clean technology campus that serves as an economic engine for the area.
The property transfer, almost five years in the making, involved numerous local and state partners and is being hailed as a model of intergovernmental collaboration.
Northern State Hospital operated on the property from 1913 to 1973. The site later served as a multi-service center for the U.S. Forest Service and state Department of Social and Health Services. Most recently, the state Department of Enterprise Services has been leasing buildings and grounds to a number of organizations.
The transfer required both legislative and local actions, including authorization by the state Legislature to transfer the property to the port and annexation of the property into the City of Sedro-Woolley. To secure ownership, the state also required the port to show local investments of at least $5 million in redeveloping the property.
“This is a powerful example of what we can accomplish together when the state works in collaboration with local governments,” Inslee said. “This week’s property transfer to the Port of Skagit helps the community realize a long-term vision that makes cultural, economic and environmental sense.”
Read the rest of the story on the governor's Medium page.