The U.S. Navy is undergoing an Environmental Impact Statement process to finalize proposed upgrades to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF) in Kitsap County.
Improvements to the shipyard would include construction of a new multi-mission dry dock capable of supporting Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, demolition of the Hammerhead Crane as well as further modification to other aging infrastructure such as piers, wharves, quay walls, buildings, and utilities at the shipyard.
These proposed upgrades would address critical deficiencies in dry dock capability, capacity, and seismic survivability at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton and enable PSNS & IMF to continue to meet its mission to maintain, modernize, and retire the Navy’s fleet into the foreseeable future. Additionally, the Navy has already begun the seismic and electrical system upgrades needed for the Ford-class carriers.
All of this work is part of the Navy’s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP). This program is a comprehensive, long-term effort to revitalize century-old infrastructure to increase maintenance throughput and improve quality of service for the Navy’s 37,000 shipyard employees. The PSNS & IMF is one of only four shipyards in the United States. It employs over 14,000 people and is part of the larger Naval Base Kitsap, which is the largest employer in Kitsap County.
PSRC is working with partners to craft a new Regional Economic Strategy that will align regional efforts to boost economic growth. Regional leaders are exploring strategies to support job growth as part of the plan. The current strategy recognizes the unique history and role the Maritime and Defense industries play as strategic clusters that grow jobs and opportunity, while diversifying and building resiliency into the regional economy.
