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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has leased office space for 70 employees on the shore of Lake Union for decades (as of 2007); it began its operations on Lake Union in 1916; the agency's lease was to run out in mid-2011, and plans were being made for other locations to house NOAA's research ships and onshore staff. The Port of Bellingham, WA, expressed interest in housing NOAA in 09/2007. NOAA lost its moorage capabilities for marine vessels when a fire destroyed two piers at the center in 07/2007. In 10/2007, NOAA negotiated moorage rights with the Port of Seattle at Terminal 30 for four of its ships, two of which could be docked at any one time. In 08/2009, NOAA announced its intention to transfer its research fleet from Seattle to Newport, OR. The State of Oregon competed hard to obtain the move, agreeing to issue up to $44 million in state bonds to build a brand-new port complex in Newport, OR. The move would occur in mid 2011 and shift 175 people to the new Pacific Marine Operations Center. Newport, OR, was claimed to be located centrally on the Pacific Coast and was in the same town as the important Oregon State University Mark Hatfield Marine Science Center, where 120 NOAA employees already operated.

This building experienced a fire in 2007.

PCAD id: 10273