Sowing a green business park

Who: Tim Botkin, 53

What he does: Director of the Kitsap Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Project in Bremerton

Mission: Build and operate a modern business park dedicated to the development, incubation and management of alternative-energy companies.

Employees: One

Financials: Botkin, a contractor, said he runs the office on about $130,000 from the Port of Bremerton and other sources. Additional construction and development costs are being covered by a variety of government and private grants.

The public funds and grants make up, appropriately enough, seed money.

"This is an investment in economic development," Botkin said. "Private companies don't invest in economic development; that is the role of the public sector," he said.

Land use: The Port of Bremerton has donated 75 acres for the original project, with the potential to take over 3,500 more acres as needed.

The first building, designed by Seattle architecture firm Mithun, is scheduled for groundbreaking in the spring. Botkin plans to finalize the initial tenant list next summer.

"You can't get a commitment until about six months before you open," he said. "Usually it takes four to five years to build a program like this. We are in our third year and are in good shape. We have tons of potential, and this is a chance to put Kitsap on the map."

Pod world: Botkin is optimistic about getting companies to sign on. He has spoken to fuel-cell companies, along with firms that have a different takes on the development of solar panels and catalytic converters. "The first pod will have a unique setting and design," he said. "I have no doubt that we will be able to bring in 12 to 15 companies in the first 14 months."

Planting roots: Botkin, who has worked as a lawyer and served one term as a Kitsap County commissioner, sees his work with SEED (www.kitsapseed.com) as his life's fruition. "I'm a green guy," he said. "This allows me to make a difference, and lets me use everything I have learned so far."

— Charles Bermant