Hyak Maritime and WCT Marine & Construction see an opportunity to make North Tongue Point a regional center for skilled shipwright work.

The state Legislature has approved $7 million in funding for Hyak Maritime’s boat lift project at Tongue Point, which would be the first zero-emission electric mobile lift operating in the U.S.

The grant covers a sizable portion of the project, expected to cost $35 million for the lift and investment in the site.

The mobile lift would be able to hoist vessels weighing up to 1,500 tons, allowing it to service boats that would otherwise travel out of state or get on a waitlist for repairs at a Portland dry-dock.

Hyak believes the $21 million lift will alleviate pressure on a maritime industry that has seen 16 shipyards in Oregon and Washington state close in the last 15 years, as well as an increase in federal regulations requiring vessels to be inspected more frequently.

“There’s this horrible collision of supply and demand: we’ve got a lot of vessels that need to be inspected, very few places that can do it,” said Robert Dorn, Hyak’s CEO. “Tongue Point’s kind of the current, great opportunity for creating a shipyard that can help the industry maintain their fleets.”

The $7 million for Hyak comes from the state’s share of the federal American Rescue Plan Act, part of which was allocated to local governments and organizations for water-related infrastructure projects.

The state package also included over $360,000 to Garibaldi for over 600 new wireless water meters and the creation of a wastewater master plan.

“All of these projects are in line with my priority of supporting improvement of infrastructure and economic development in rural Northwest Oregon,” state Rep. Suzanne Weber, R-Tillamook, said in a statement. “I’ve worked as hard as possible to ensure that our communities and our needs aren’t forgotten when budgeting occurs.”

Dorn said that Hyak has also secured a commitment from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to spend $9 million to dredge the 2-mile Cathlamet Bay channel approach to Tongue Point’s piers.

Hyak is still waiting for approval on a $13.9 million grant from Connect Oregon, which the Oregon Transportation Commission will be reviewing for the next few months.

“If we’re successful in Connect, we’re fully funded,” Dorn said, adding that Hyak has already submitted applications for the necessary environmental and water permits and has engineered the piers to support the lift.

“So we’re optimistic on the Connect grant being the final piece of the puzzle,” he said.

Dorn said he views the $7 million grant as a loan that Hyak will repay through jobs created, payroll taxes and property taxes.

An independent economic impact study by the Columbia-Pacific Economic Development District, or Col-Pac, included figures for Hyak’s future spending and contributions.

The study estimates the project will create 51 full-time jobs at Hyak upon installation, with an average salary of around $78,000.

It also projects an additional 50 jobs five years after installation, bringing the total to over 100 full-time jobs.

The Col-Pac study predicts that the lift will add $400,000 in annual local and state tax revenue by 2025, and $700,000 annually by 2030.

Dorn said that the lift project will also support U.S. Coast Guard vessels at the incoming fast response cutter base, expected to be constructed next to Hyak.