SKAGIT PUBLISHING

Project Description

Client: Skagit Publishing
Location: Mount Vernon, Washington
Project Size: 60,000 sq. ft.
Architect: ARC West
Facility Type: Offices and Manufacturing

Start to Finish: Every Challenge Met

New Facility Built to Meet the Needs of the Future

For years Skagit Publishing knew media diversification was key to success in the future. The 125 yr. old business was operating in four buildings, some as far as 20 miles apart. The publisher could see the big role a new facility would play in building business in the changing news and information market.

Knowing every project is unique, and every building has a job to do, Fisher coordinated a team to meet the challenge. The 8 acre site just off I-5 required a complex series of site improvements, including moving 50,000 tons of preload, building a fish weir, and making street and fire safety improvements.

The new Skagit Publishing building is home to a 120 ft. long web press. To welcome the 200,000 lb. baby, Fisher built a foundation on 56 16-inch diameter concrete piles set deep under the press area. Beside the press, they built a formed-in-place trench to meet the tight tolerances needed for the paper conveyor to run smoothly over a 150 ft. span.

Inside, the long structural spans enhance the open work environment and natural light floods the interior through a floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall. The window works in reverse at night, making press room operations visible from the street outside the building.

Built to deliver on investment, the new facility has brought together Skagit Publishing’s 130+ employees who prepare and print two daily newspapers, along with many special interest publications. The pre-engineered steel building is a prototype for the publishing industry and showcases the beauty of sustainable materials.