Weyerhaeuser Building Restoration Earns Historic Renovation of the Year Award
The joint effort to restore the historic Weyerhaeuser Building and re-envision the 100-year-old structure into The Muse Whiskey & Coffee won the Washington state chapter of the NAIOP, Commercial Real Estate Development Association, Historic Renovation of the Year Award.
NAIOPWA represents more than 1,000 members involved with the development, ownership, management and financing of commercial properties. The chapter’s Night of the Stars Awards highlight important strides made in sustainable development, unique historical renovation and a continued commitment to world-class development in the greater Puget Sound area.
The Port of Everett and NGMA Group partnered to kick off restoration last year with goals to restore Everett’s historic Weyerhaeuser Building located at the Port’s Waterfront Place to its former 1920s glory, maintain state historic standards and reopen it in the building’s centennial year. The décor pays tribute to the history of the building – when you step inside, you’ll feel as though you’ve stepped back in time.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW IMAGES OF THE REIMAGINED SPACE
“I’m delighted that the renovation of the Weyerhaeuser Building has received the Historic Renovation of the Year Award,” Port of Everett Commission President Glen Bachman said. “I was wowed by the work done to restore this showpiece, and I’m clearly not the only one. Thanks to teamwork and great partnership, people of all ages now flock to The Muse Whiskey & Coffee to explore the building’s rich history and admire its ornate structure.”.jpg)
The Weyerhaeuser Building, which once served as the Everett-based mill headquarters for the Weyerhaeuser Company, reopened to the public in 2023 as The Muse Whiskey & Coffee. After sitting vacant for two decades, it now welcomes visitors as a coffee house by day and a speakeasy-style whiskey bar by night.
"Our vision becomes reality,” said Jack Ng and Jin Ma of the NGMA Group, which owns and operates The Muse Whiskey & Coffee. “We are honored to be part of history with this unique building and a great partnership with the Port of Everett. Thank you, NAIOP, for choosing us for the Historic Renovation of the Year."
The firms involved in the renovation include the Port of Everett, which owns the 100-year-old building; the NGMA Group, which developed The Muse Whiskey & Coffee establishment; The Schuster Group, the project manager of the historic renovation; Graham Construction, the general contractor for the project; and Jack Ng and Jin Ma, Flatrock Productions and 2812 Architecture, designers of The Muse Whiskey & Coffee.
“It is rare to get to work on projects as unique as the Weyerhaeuser Building,” said Holly Gardner, President of The Schuster Group. “It was a difficult but rewarding project, and we are so incredibly proud of how it turned out. It is an honor to be recognized as Historical Renovation of the Year by our peer
s at NAIOP.”
The 100-year-old building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, also serves as a new waterfront events venue for private events and local boating clubs, and doubles as a museum. The Port launched a new website to serve as a virtual museum, whether you are visiting on-site or online. Historic imagery and informational plaques with QR codes are featured throughout the building. Learn about the rooms you visit or the photos and plaques you see in real-time. Visit www.weyerhaeusermusehistory.com.
The Historic Renovation of the Year Award was presented at the NAIOPWA’s annual Night of the Stars Gala on Nov. 3 at the Hyatt Regency in Bellevue, Washington.
For more information, contact Catherine Soper, Port of Everett Communications & Marketing Director, at catherines@portofeverett.com.
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About the NAIOP
NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, was formed in 1967 as the National Association of Industrial Parks. NAIOP Washington State represents the interests of individuals and companies involved with the development, ownership, management and financing of commercial properties. The organization is committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture within Washington’s CRE, bringing together CRE professionals to lead and strengthen the industry. The Washington State chapter includes more than 1,000 members involved with office, biotech, industrial, mixed-use, retail, institutional, and multi-family development across the state. The mission of the Washington State Chapter of NAIOP is to create a favorable climate for the conduct of commercial real estate through the participation of a professionally diverse membership and to be recognized as the foremost commercial real estate association in Washington. Learn more at www.naiopwa.org.
About Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place
The Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place is a new 1.5 million square foot mixed-use development located on 65 acres at the waterfront near the downtown core in Everett, Washington. The development boasts spectacular views, waterfront access, recreational amenities, and a world-class marina – the largest public Marina on the West Coast – with 2,300 slips and 5,000 linear feet of guest moorage. At full build-out, the Waterfront Place mixed-use development will include 63,000 square feet (sf) of retail/restaurant space, another 20,000 sf of marine retail, 447,500 sf of office, two waterfront hotels, and up to 660 waterfront housing units. Featured amenities include new trails and regional parks, public gathering spaces, a variety of fine and casual dining, local shops, and marine sales and services. The project’s expected $1 billion in public/private investment is estimated to support nearly 2,100 family-wage jobs and generate $8.6 million annually in state and local sales taxes. To date, the Port has facilitated more than $300 million in public/private investment here, with more to come. For more information, visit www.portofeverett.com/wpc.
About The Muse Whiskey & Coffee
The Muse Whiskey and Coffee, owned by Jack Ng and Jin Ma of the NGMA Group, is a coffee house by day and a speakeasy-style whiskey bar by night. The new restaurant is located at the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place in the historic Weyerhaeuser Building, which was the Everett mills headquarters for the Weyerhaeuser Company. The NGMA Group also owns China City – with locations in Mill Creek, Oak Harbor and Freeland – and Fisherman Jack’s located at the Port’s “restaurant row” at Waterfront Place. For more information, visit www.thewhiskeymuse.com.
About The Schuster Group
Established in 1989, The Schuster Group is a fully-integrated real estate investment, development, consultation, and management firm. As a nationally recognized award-winning developer, The Schuster Group has built a distinguished reputation of developing dynamic environments by uniquely blending vision, creativity and high-performance processes. Leveraging this brand and reputation on behalf of our clients, we create distinctive, sustainable projects of enduring value. Over the course of three decades the firm grew from a one-man shop into a multi-faceted group of companies, and one of the most successful private equity investment and development firms in the Pacific Northwest. Utilizing a hands-on approach, the firm takes pride in developing projects that strengthen our local communities and provide inspired locations for people to live, work and play. Learn more at https://theschustergroup.com/.