The announcement came Monday after Port Commissioners spent several hours interviewing three finalists for the job. Maritime Trust beat out Trammell Crow Co., which came in second place, and Heartland Corp., which received the commissioner's third place vote.

Graham Anderson, senior planner for the Port of Everett, says the next step is for the Port to enter into negotiations with Maritime Trust to establish the scope of work that will be involved and a budget. "Assuming that can be completed successfully, we hope to have the first steps of the project underway by the end of the year," says Anderson, noting that the project would be done in phases and is expected to take 5 to 10 years to complete.

The redevelopment plans for the 100-acre property, which includes both land and water, still need to be hammered out. But Maritime Trust, which has helped to redevelop waterfronts in Chicago and Baltimore, laid out the possibilities in its presentation to commissioners for the expansion of an existing conference center, commercial shops, restaurants, a possible hotel, a maritime history museum, a waterfront promenade and a park for public events.