The retail space that currently serves as the Wooden Boat Chandlery at the Northwest Maritime Center in downtown Port Townsend will become its new Welcome Center in the spring of 2024.

The Northwest Maritime Center’s chief operating officer, Katie Oman, and its campus director, Kate Philbrick, spoke about ongoing efforts to make the center more accessible to the public.

“Since the Northwest Maritime Center was built, locals and visitors alike have requested ways that we could be clearer about who we are and what we do,” Oman said. “The feedback we’ve received, dating back to before the pandemic, is that people would like more opportunities to connect and engage with us, more casually and with less effort.”

Following a 2019 evaluation that revealed many visitors’ difficulties with navigating the site, updated wayfinding signage was agreed upon, but the conclusion was reached that further measures would be requiredto address the public’s calls for further information about the Northwest Maritime Center’s mission, activities, and heritage.

“When giving campus tours, we found that many people were surprised at the depth and breadth of our offerings, and wanted a way to learn more,” said Molly McCarthy, communications director for the Northwest Maritime Center.

Oman sees the renovation of the “front door” corner of the Northwest Maritime Center as a way to “tell our story,” from educating the public on the rich maritime history of the region, to inviting visitors to partake of resources such as the center’s on-site library, which is part of the same network as the Jefferson County and Port Townsend libraries, all while affording greater ADA accessibility for those with mobility issues.

“As you walk in, you’ll be met by a map in the corner, to help orient you where you are, focusing on the surrounding waterways, to illustrate how we got here,” Philbruck said. “The front desk will serve as a stop-in point for folks to find out about events that we have planned, the maritime culture we’re coming from, and the educational programs we provide.”

McCarthy noted the front desk will be created out of a boat, while the Welcome Center’s floor plan of interactive exhibits will be laid out like a sextant from overhead, to underscore its connections to maritime traditions, in addition to still furnishing a retail space, for everything from navigational supplies to books and other nautically-themed gifts.

The ADA accessibility of the newly exterior canopy-framed front entrance will be carried through the center’s more spacious interior, ADA-accessible dressing room and new visitor center entry doors, to allow for boats and other objects to be more easily brought in.

And a new, transparent display wall, between the Welcome Center and the Velocity coffee shop, is designed to let in both the light and a view of the sea, while also housing the Northwest Maritime Center’s collection of historic ship models.

On-site construction is set to commence on Jan. 8, 2024, after the Wooden Boat Chandlery space shuts down on Dec. 31. The project is budgeted to run roughly $200,000 for its exhibits and approximately $375,000 for its construction.

“We’ll be offering a killer ‘Black Friday’ sale in the meantime, so be sure to check that out,” McCarthy chuckled.