Since the beginning of the 20th century, the neighborhood of Ballard in Seattle, Washington has been one of the major ports for the maritime and the commercial fishing industry in the State of Washington. Today, Ballard's waterfront is one of the last working maritime waterfronts in Washington and provides a large percentage of the income to the neighborhood.

Ballard has been undergoing a recent revitalization. New interest in the area has spurred growth in the historic downtown as well as in the commercial and industrial area that lines the Lake Washington Ship Canal. With this renewed interest, it is important not to ignore the history, but reinforce and re-connect Ballard to its past as a center for the maritime industry.

The site, along the inland waterway of Salmon Bay, is in the maritime and industrial urban fabric and very near the neighborhood center that could serve an important purpose - a maritime center for the community, including a museum, boat building facilities, demonstration areas, and offices for maritime related businesses.