Director Fong discussed economic development, strengthening communities

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Director Fong and scenes from Skagit County

Travels with Mike:
Skagit County

Director Mike Fong talks to representatives from the Northwest Innovation Resource Center (NWIRC).

Director Mike Fong ...

Commerce Director Mike Fong continued his road trip across Washington with a July visit to Skagit County. His day included learning about the area’s growth, and how its leaders are tackling both big-city and rural challenges.

Skagit County is famous for its tulips and flower fields, which attracts visitors from across the world every spring. But while its agrarian roots are still cover art, the economy’s real engine today is manufacturing, which is responsible for about 30% of the area’s GDP.

Skagit County is home to about 130,000 people, 12% of whom live in poverty. It's on the rebound, though, with new technology, community hubs and opportunities for the future. Commerce is ready to honor Skagit’s past while helping it prepare for the future.

Video clip (select to play)

Watch a video about the director's trip.

Historic site envisioned as new economic engine

The former Northern State Hospital

Creating resources so communities can grow is an important part of Commerce’s mission. During his trip, Director Fong toured the SWIFT Center in Sedro-Woolley. The SWIFT Center is located on the former Northern State Hospital campus. The Port of Skagit is working with Northwest Innovation Resource Center (NWIRC), the City of Sedro-Woolley, Skagit County and others, to revitalize the campus. The community vision is to redevelop this property into a destination mixed-use campus accommodating education, research and development, manufacturing, hospitality and commercial venues, all within the historic character and great public spaces of the center.

Commerce facilitated a $242,500 direct appropriation from the Legislature for the SWIFT Center. NWIRC runs two other labs in the NW Innovation Lab Network, which aims to encourage economic development and entrepreneurship in northwest Washington.

“This great work is building new opportunities for these communities,” Director Fong said. "The NW Innovation Resource Center is creating a great incubator — this is the kind of work that we want to support and encourage." 

Director Fong joined the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County (EDASC) for lunch. EDASC is the only accredited Associate Development Organization (ADO) in the Pacific Northwest. It was accredited by the International Economic Development Council in February.

EDASC supports Skagit County communities and companies, working to achieve economic growth while maintaining the area’s natural beauty and way of life. From access to deep water seaports and agribusiness to clean technology, there are many opportunities in Skagit County.
Director Fong tours the Triumph Teen Life Center.

Director Fong tours the Triumph Teen Life Center with Silvia Alvarez, the center's founder and executive director.

Local organizations power community development

Strengthening communities means more than building healthy economies; it extends to building opportunities to learn, create and try new things. Leaders in Mount Vernon are doing just that with the Triumph Teen Life Center and the Mount Vernon Library Commons project.

“All of these pieces of the puzzle are what makes community,” Director Fong said, referencing community outreach, local government, entrepreneurship and more. “These are all the ingredients to build a healthy, thriving community.”

The Triumph Teen Life Center is an after school support for teens. It helps empower teens, many of them from low-income or of Latino and Mexican Indigenous backgrounds, to overcome obstacles to their academic and personal achievement by providing tools, resources and guidance.

Commerce supported the center through a pilot program grant aimed at organizational development and capacity building. The group is using funding for marketing to generate funding for laptops, printers and interpreting headsets. In the future, the center hopes to purchase a building to consolidate their disparate centers into one location including a teen center, resource center, food bank and cultural center. An all-in-one center would help them serve more families with comprehensive, wraparound services. 

Library Commons exterior

Director Fong also visited the construction site for the new Mount Vernon Library Commons. The Commons is a multi-use infrastructure project located in the city’s historic downtown. Combining several community needs, it represents a $53 million investment in the Mount Vernon community.

The project contains public library services, community center space, a commercial kitchen, public restrooms, and structured parking with public electric vehicle charging, a park-and-ride lot, and transit stop. The public parking structure will host 276 parking stalls, four direct current fast chargers, and 72 Level 2 variable EV chargers — according to the city’s website, it will be the largest public electric vehicle charging center in the U.S. The project is slated to finish next month.

Commerce administered a $3.95 million appropriation from the Washington State Legislature for the Library Commons.

“The Mount Vernon Library Commons is the largest economic development project in Skagit County history,” said Mount Vernon Mayor Peter Donovan. “We are grateful to Commerce for working with us to secure all of the state funding incorporated in the project.”

Photo above: The Mount Vernon Library Commons, currently under construction. 

More photos from the director's visit

What’s next for Director Fong?

July 16: Climate Commitment Act funding announcement at the Quinault Indian Reservation with Governor Jay Inslee
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