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Swift Center campus in Sedro-Woolley reopened to public; port and Job Corps remain major occupants, innovation lab planned
Summary
A speaker described the Swift Center campus—the former Northern State Hospital—its transfer to local control in 2018, pedestrian improvements, ongoing Job Corps presence and plans with the Northwest Innovation Resource Center for an innovation lab.
A speaker representing local stewardship of the Swift Center campus described steps to reopen the site for public use, retain Job Corps operations and pursue an innovation lab partnership.
Commenter 3, a staff member, said the Swift Center was “the former Northern State Hospital campus” built by the state in 1912 and noted its design by the Olmsted Brothers. He said the state closed the hospital in 1972 and that “the port took ownership in 2018” with an explicit goal “to bring it back into local control and make it something that the community could really access, interact with, and make use of locally.”
Why it matters: The campus’s reuse combines federal workforce training, public access and planned innovation activity. That mix could affect local job-training opportunities and how the site contributes to downtown and regional economic development.
Commenter 3 described recent physical changes: “The primary change has been the fact that the campus is now open and there are designated pedestrian routes so people can come out, walk their dog, take a run, have a picnic, bring the kids out on a bike.” He said about a third of the campus is a federal Job Corps site, which “has been active the entire time,” and that the port is “working on a new project with the Northwest Innovation Resource Center to locate an innovation lab on the campus.”
Context and limits: Statements reflect a speaker’s account of ownership, site use and plans; no formal agreements, contract terms, funding figures or construction timelines were presented during the remarks.
Background: The speaker emphasized the campus’s historic landscaping pedigree, noting that the Olmsted Brothers “designed Central Park in New York and the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco,” to indicate the campus’s design significance.
Next steps: The port’s stated plans include locating an innovation lab with the Northwest Innovation Resource Center; the speaker did not specify a timetable, funding sources or required approvals.
