If you see what looks like a tank, headed for West Seattle’s Terminal 5 …

(Terminal 5 photo from portseattle.org)

Thanks for the tips. The Port of Seattle confirms it has been notifying community members about a military resupply operation that’ll be happening at West Seattle’s Terminal 5 in the next few weeks. Port spokesperson Peter McGraw explains:

Foss Maritime, through its lease with the Northwest Seaport Alliance, is mustering U.S. Army equipment, supplies, and provisions at Terminal 5, as part of a scheduled unit rotation of U.S. Forces to Korea. The military equipment is arriving via train and truck at Terminal 5 and is expected to ship in the next couple of weeks. There will be approximately 800 pieces of equipment, none of it munitions, including oversized cargo such as tanks as part of the vehicles.

Utilizing Terminal 5 allows all parties to gain operational experience and training in the event we must use the terminal because of a regional emergency, like a major earthquake. Moves such as this occur with regular frequency though NWSA South Harbor (Port of Tacoma) facilities.

McGraw adds that a “non-military vessel” related to this operation is due in next week. If you have a question, the port says you can take it to Nick Demerice, Director of Public Affairs for the Northwest Seaport Alliance, at 253-428-8624 or ndemerice@nwseaportalliance.com. T-5, meantime, remains slated for future modernization, once a new tenant is found; the next public update on that is likely to be at the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s “State of the Port” lunch (11:30 am September 13th at Jack Block Park – here’s how to register).

Eliza September 5, 2018 (4:47 pm)

Do you know if we can get close enough to see them?

Bruce September 12, 2018 (10:32 am)

Go to Jack Block park, on the west side of Terminal 5, you’ll get a great view.

John September 5, 2018 (4:56 pm)

I am always wondering why this terminal been sitting empty for the past several years with only a few periods of use.

Question Authority September 5, 2018 (6:32 pm)

That’s because the Port of Tacoma even though it’s aligned with the Port of Seattle through the alliance has direct crane to railcar loading capability which does not exist at T5, let alone the bottleneck of the low or high bridge.
- j September 5, 2018 (8:02 pm)
  
  That is incorrect. T5 has on dock rail.
Hurry up and wait September 5, 2018 (8:39 pm)

“Modernization” efforts. In classic Seattle style, they’ve formed a committee and are exploring options… since 2014.https://www.nwseaportalliance.com/about/strategic-plan/t5

rico September 6, 2018 (6:18 am)

It sits idle because the money loss does not affect the Port budget at all, we just subsidize more to make up for it. Same deal with the empty block owned by the City west of City Hall, a huge loss of revenue, which is simply covered by you and I through more taxes. Great stewards.

Question Authority September 6, 2018 (10:31 am)

There once was great fanfare that it was going to be the new home for Panamax ships, but that has gone by the wayside due to build-out costs, ship inefficiency and world market demands. The new cranes to unload those mammoth ships would have been an outlay of a billion dollars upfront.

Question Authority September 6, 2018 (12:14 pm)

I meant 100 million, it would total up to close to a billion in port upgrades which doesn’t seem like a good investment when they function without it in use now.

David September 6, 2018 (1:04 pm)

This area should be developed as a mixed use residential/business area. It could have great potential with foot ferries taking commuters down town. It’s been empty for about a decade and in typical Port of Seattle fashion will probably sit that way for decades while citizens are being taxed by the port

Question Authority September 6, 2018 (4:09 pm)

It will never be developed into any form of residential area because it’s basically a Superfund Site, the entire impervious surface covering that area cannot be violated do to what’s underneath. It was a creosote plant and chemical dumping site etc. It will always stay industrial due to that.
Jason Robbins September 8, 2018 (2:49 pm)

Matson Shipping is moving there in October and Westwood will likely move back as well. The shipping industry helped build Seattle and West Seattle and T5 should move forward as a cargo Terminal.

rico September 6, 2018 (1:56 pm)

I suspect the Port would love to re-zone this as residential, but there is a large faction of groups who resist anything that reduces Industrial zones. Here is a breifer on the subject https://www.seattle.gov/opcd/vault/industrial-lands

Rob H September 7, 2018 (3:34 pm)

West Seattle doesn’t need a Love Canal, nor should that history ever be repeated. Unfortunately, that property can’t be residential due to it’s industrial past. It’s Superfund site due to 100 years of wood treating (Wyckoff West Seattle) as well as several other industrial activities and there is also an old municipal landfill underneath all that asphalt. A cargo terminal is one of the few viable use for that property. Golf courses are also commonly built on old landfills and contaminated sites, but West Seattle doesn’t need another golf course.

Jacqueline Carpenter September 9, 2018 (10:02 pm)

North or South Korea? Are we providing them with equipment for their trainings or for trade? or is the equipment for our troops in Korea?is this the deal our President made with North Korea to keep Kim quiet?Please explain the protocol of this large inventory being shipped to “Korea”. Thank you!

Sorry, comment time is over.