Plans are moving forward to redevelop part of Ballard Mill Marina (4733 Shilshole Ave NW) into a passenger terminal for charter boat operators, a project owner Ned Carner says is intended to expand public access to the waterfront while preserving the site’s industrial character.
The project, first reported by the Puget Sound Business Journal, would convert the property’s last former lumber drying kiln into a passenger terminal, along with craft workspaces and a central indoor-outdoor waiting area. Plans also call for adding a second floor, expanding the building by about 22,000 square feet for a total of roughly 52,000 square feet. Ballard-based Heliotrope Architects is designing the project.
Carner told My Ballard his vision for the property has two goals: maintaining Ballard’s maritime and industrial identity while creating more opportunities for the public to access the water.
“It’s a miss that Ballard is on the water, but almost no one has been down by the water,” Carner said.
He said Wing Point Partners intends to keep the marina operating long term while preserving industrial uses. He said businesses such as CSR Marine, Phantom Marine and the property’s woodshop are part of that vision, while uses such as loose storage and self-storage will be phased out because the company does not believe they are the best use of waterfront property.
“We’re going to keep the marina long term,” Carner said.
Carner said the marina is also working with tenants to ensure boats are registered, operable and maintained in safe condition.
The proposed passenger terminal would occupy the site’s former lumber drying kiln, which Carner said is the last remaining physical structure from the property’s lumber mill history.
“I’m a history nerd,” he said. “Instead of tearing it down, we’re repositioning it as a nod to the history.”
Carner said he hopes reusing the building reflects Ballard’s history of preserving older structures while giving the space a new purpose.
The terminal would be open to multiple charter boat operators rather than a single company. Carner said he envisions it as a central pickup location for charter cruises and other on-the-water activities that could bring more visitors to the Ballard waterfront.
“Working on creating the first passenger terminal in Ballard that would give access to the water,” he said.
While compatible commercial uses such as a café or brewery could eventually be considered under existing zoning, Carner said there are no plans for residential development or a hotel.
Carner said he also hopes increased public activity at the marina will expose more people to maritime industries and encourage younger generations to consider careers in the marine trades.
According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, the redevelopment is estimated to cost $11.8 million. Carner said Wing Point Partners submitted permit applications on June 11 and that the project is still in the early stages of the permitting process.
The redevelopment would be the first major project at the property since Wing Point Partners purchased Ballard Mill Marina for $9.55 million in 2025. The 16-acre property at 4733 Shilshole Ave. NW had been owned by the Black family since 1889 and includes a recreational marina, commercial wharf, industrial buildings and longtime tenant CSR Marine.
The plans also come as some longtime tenants are leaving the property. Ballard Mill Marina tenant Connor Nielsen told My Ballard that he and many other longtime tenants have recently been required to vacate the marina. Nielsen said the changes have displaced several small businesses and individuals who used the marina and described them as “another nail in the coffin for the working class in Ballard.” He said he believes the changes mark the end of an era for the waterfront property.
Carner acknowledged that some tenants are shifting as the property evolves but said Wing Point’s long-term goal is to preserve the site’s maritime and industrial identity while creating a public gateway to the waterfront.
Photo: Ballard Mill Marina, Google Image Capture