The Skagit Advantage
The Port of Skagit views its mission, Good Jobs for Our Community, as critical for maintaining a high quality of life in the Skagit Valley. By fostering economic prosperity, we support community well-being that embraces cultural vitality, social justice and compassion, all nurtured by a beautiful and healthy natural environment. Taken together with the bottom-line factors listed below, those attributes create what we call “The Skagit Advantage.”
The Skagit Advantage: The Bottom Line
Category |
Skagit County |
Everett, Snohomish Co. |
Seattle, King Co. |
Tacoma, Pierce Co. |
| Local Business and Occupation Tax - Manufacturers |
No tax |
0.001 |
0.00215 |
0.0011 |
|
Local Sales Tax Rate |
8.20% |
9.20% |
9.50% |
9.30% |
|
Industrial building leasing rates |
$3.60 - $5.40/sf |
$4.20 - $6/sf |
$4.80 - $12/sf |
$3.36 - $5.40/sf |
|
Industrial buildings asking price |
$50 - $70/sf |
$80 - $100/sf |
$80 - $100/sf |
$40 - $100/sf |
|
Industrial land asking price |
$2.75 - $6/sf |
$5 - $12/sf |
$6 - $12/sf |
$6 - $12/sf |
|
B&O Credit for New Employees in manufacturing and R & D |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
|
Rural County B&O Tax Credit for New Employees |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
|
Median home price |
$264,000 |
$273,800 |
$452,000 |
$239,600 |
The Port's Strategy
Maximizing the job-producing potential of our industrially zoned land in Skagit County is a key strategy in this effort to promote prosperity. The Port of Skagit is taking the initiative to make this happen. First, the port recognizes that its industrial land in the port district is an important asset for spurring job growth in the community.
•Undeveloped parcels are available for lease at our Skagit Regional Airport and Bayview Business Park. Currently there are about 100 acres of light-industrial property and 50 acres of heavy-industrial land at the business park (several parcels cleared and ready to build; the rest ready to clear) and about 19 acres at the airport;
•Proper zoning is in place;
•Business park is adjacent to the airport;
•Fiber optics are installed throughout;
•Wetland and storm water issues have been addressed.
Recently we have begun to take a more aggressive entrepreneurial approach to marketing our properties. We’re also taking a broader view of job creation by considering any new industrial jobs locally to be a success, whether they are located on port properties or somewhere else in the Skagit Valley.
The port also has established an Economic Opportunity Team to take on the actual work of attracting new industry to the Skagit Valley and assisting existing businesses in their efforts to grow and thrive. The focus is on recruiting businesses that will create sustainable, family-wage jobs.
View our Value-Added Agriculture interactive map here: http://goo.gl/bK5eXX