From the Archives: 'Construction to begin this month on education center at Shannon Point'

[ Editor's note: At the end of the decade, Western Today is publishing articles from the past 10 years of FAST, the campus faculty/staff newsletter. This is one of those articles. Publication of FAST officially ended in the summer of 2009. It was replaced by Western Today. ]

Construction is scheduled to begin early this month on a new 12,700 square-foot Marine Education Center facility at Shannon Point Marine Center in Anacortes. The new facility, designed by MBT Architecture of Seattle, will provide office space for resident scientists and support staff, a student project development and computer lab, and two analytical laboratories designed for the study of water quality and biogeochemistry.

Steve Sulkin said the new space will permit the marine center to concentrate those functions that require access to running sea water in the existing Sundquist Laboratory, making more effective use of that resource. The new facility also will include an elevator serving both buildings, providing disabled access to the top floor.

The facility is funded through the University’s capital budget provided by the state Legislature. Total cost is expected to be $4.9 million, including design. The construction contract has been awarded to Newland Construction Co. of Everett. The new facility is slated for occupancy in early 2006.

SPMC is a program of Western whose mission is the support of marine science at the University. The center received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math and Engineering Mentoring in 2003. During the past five years, SPMC has been awarded more than $6 million in federal funding to support its programs in education and research. More information about SPMC facilities and programs can be obtained at www.wwu.edu/~spmc.