Major waterfront development in Gig Harbor will be ready this year, city says
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- Gig Harbor plans to build commercial fishing dock this year after long permitting delays.
- City budgeted $3.48 million from multiple local funding sources.
- Dock provides moorage for up to 17 vessels; completion set by end of 2026.
Is this the year that Gig Harbor’s long-awaited commercial fishing dock becomes a reality?
The city will begin preparing for construction on their Commercial Fishing Homeport in mid- to late April, now that the federal government “has completed its review and is in the process of approving and issuing a permit,” the city announced in a news release Jan. 22. The city didn’t yet have the permit in-hand when a reporter reached a city spokesperson Jan. 22.
The News Tribune reported that the city began planning the waterfront project, which would provide dedicated moorage for commercial fishing vessels at Ancich Waterfront Park, in 2013. Changes in environmental regulations led to multiple delays as the city submitted and re-submitted their plans to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. That agency is responsible for issuing the permit the city needs to get started, based on biological opinions from federal agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service.
After receiving the federal permit, the city will work to move the project through the local and state permitting process, the release said.
The city has set aside $3.48 million in their 2025-2026 biennial budget for the project, covering the costs of design, permitting and construction. The total draws on funding from the city’s Hospital Benefit Zone, funding from the Port of Tacoma, a donation from the Gig Harbor Civic Fishermen’s Club and revenue from the city’s real estate excise tax.
“Gig Harbor’s maritime legacy is a source of pride,” the city wrote in their news release. “We want to express our sincere thanks to the community for its continued patience and understanding. This project has been in the making a long time, and we share your eagerness to see it realized.”
The city plans to award a construction contract about three weeks after inviting contractors to bid, according to the press release.
“Pre-fabrication work is anticipated to begin in the summer of this year with on-site construction completed by end of 2026,” the release says.
The city is bound by regulations that require builders to complete in-water work within a window usually running from July 15 to February 15 of each year, based on fish migration patterns in Puget Sound, according to the release.
Up to 17 commercial fishing vessels would be able to moor at the homeport under the current design, the city’s website says.
“It’s all good news, long time coming,” said Guy Hoppen, a commercial fisherman who grew up on the waterfront and has been a long-time advocate for the homeport, in a phone call Friday.
He explained that waterfront property in Gig Harbor is increasingly hard to come by. Commercial fishing is “the occupational tradition that gave Gig Harbor its character and historic heritage, and it still exists,” he continued. “So it’s a good thing a public facility is coming before the waterfront is unavailable.”
“ ... the waterfront is becoming less available as time goes by, and more precious and more expensive to buy, not just for fishermen, for everybody,” he said.
This story was originally published January 30, 2026 at 1:15 PM.
