Charles Jordan Marine Park

In 1970, Richard Haag, an internationally known landscape architect, completed the design for a Marina Park at the 14th Street marina. Located on the south side of 13th Street near the west end of the 14th Street fill, the park was to be a haven for non-boaters. On November 10, 1970, the Port Commission awarded the construction contract to Sanford Wright with a total project cost of $59,995.50. The Commissioners accepted the project as complete on May 11, 1971. The park was square in shape with approximately 300 feet on each side. A concrete stairway ascended a 20-foot-high main grassy mound on the south side that provided a view in all directions. Smaller berms ringed the other three sides. Seating was built around planters. Poplars, magnolias, and rhododendrons were planted around the perimeter.

Interestingly, the 48th Parallel of Latitude passed through the site. The space was dedicated as the Charles Jordan Marine Park during the Salty Sea Days celebration of 1971. Jordan, a beloved citizen activist, had served as the Port of Everett’s attorney for 25 years. When Jordan died in 1983, former Port Commissioner Paul Kinnune remembered Jordan’s dedication to the Port. “He wanted to see the Port prosper,” stated Kinnune. Hailed as a grassy respite in the middle of industrial area by some, the park was dubbed “Mt. Montezuma” or the “Missile Silo” by others. As of 2010, all that remained of Jordan Park was the aggregate sidewalk entrance on its east side and a lone magnolia tree.