The announcement came Monday after Port Commissioners spentseveral hours interviewing three finalists for the job. MaritimeTrust beat out Trammell Crow Co., which came in second place, andHeartland Corp., which received the commissioner's third placevote.

Graham Anderson, senior planner for the Port of Everett, saysthe next step is for the Port to enter into negotiations withMaritime Trust to establish the scope of work that will be involvedand a budget. "Assuming that can be completed successfully, we hopeto have the first steps of the project underway by the end of theyear," says Anderson, noting that the project would be done inphases and is expected to take 5 to 10 years to complete.

The redevelopment plans for the 100-acre property, whichincludes both land and water, still need to be hammered out. ButMaritime Trust, which has helped to redevelop waterfronts inChicago and Baltimore, laid out the possibilities in itspresentation to commissioners for the expansion of an existingconference center, commercial shops, restaurants, a possible hotel,a maritime history museum, a waterfront promenade and a park forpublic events.