By Shawn Dick, Tulalip News
After years of planning and nearly two years of construction, the Tulalip Utilities Department is preparing to move into a newly upgraded 2-story 7,800 square-foot building designed to enhance customer service, improve employee safety, and support the community’s long-term infrastructure.
According to Tulalip Utilities Operations Administrator Mike Leslie, the project was driven by the need to modernize an aging facility that no longer meets the department’s needs.
“The building was just timed out,” Leslie said. “It was built in the early 60s, so it had seen its useful days.”
The previous building faced numerous structural and health concerns, including electrical systems that no longer met code, foundation cracks, roof leaks, mold problems, and infestations from rodents and raccoons.
“We had three different kinds of mold, including some of the worst kinds that were causing health issues for employees,” Leslie explained. “We even had raccoons living in the rafters.”
Planning for the new facility began in 2021, with design work starting in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Final occupancy is expected around May 25.
One of the biggest improvements community members will notice is the upgraded customer service area. The new layout brings reception staff and billing specialists together in one location, making it easier for customers to get questions answered quickly.
“We didn’t have a good spot to serve the tribal community or our utilities customers,” Leslie said. “Now any billing concerns that a customer may have can be answered right there on the spot.”
The centerpiece of the new facility is its upgraded laboratory, which will allow Tulalip Utilities to process water and wastewater samples required under updated Environmental Protection Agency permits.
“The lab is the main feature of the new building,” Leslie said. “We have upgraded sampling capabilities and new equipment that gives us the ability to process those required samples moving into the future.”
The facility was also designed with future growth in mind. Additional space was built into the structure to allow for employee expansion as the Tulalip community continues to grow.
The project included involvement from tribal leadership and staff throughout the planning process. Leslie said Tulalip tribes COO Sam Davis and Executive Director Gus Taylor played major roles in helping shape the project.
Construction was not without challenges. Delays in electrical and communications materials created setbacks, while crews also encountered unexpected underground infrastructure during construction.
“We overcame them by pivoting in the field and working around the infrastructure and figuring out a way to make it work,” Leslie said.
The new building, located at 3015 Mission Beach Rd., also includes several energy-efficient features, including updated heating and cooling systems, low-energy HVAC equipment, and automated lighting systems equipped with timers and motion sensors.
In addition to improving day-to-day operations, the building will strengthen emergency response capabilities for Tulalip Utilities. The facility centralizes staff, emergency parts, trucks, and equipment in one location, allowing crews to respond faster to water breaks, sewer breaks, and other infrastructure emergencies.
“We can mobilize and leave from this facility to address any infrastructure failures,” Leslie said.
Several companies worked together to complete the project. Freiheit Architecture served as the design contractor and partnered with Akana Engineering for civil design work. Reese Construction Company completed civil work, while Lincoln Construction handled structural construction.
For Leslie and the utilities team, the opening of the new facility represents more than just a building upgrade.
“It’s a big accomplishment for the team here as far as having a nice, clean, safe working environment,” Leslie said. “But it’s also a big accomplishment for the tribe moving forward. We’ll have a facility to serve the community for the next 50 years or so.”