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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced this morning that Newport will officially be the next home for the organization’s West Coast fleet. The decision came just hours before NOAA held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the agency’s future operations center in Newport’s South Beach.

NOAA decided to move the fleet from its current home on Lake Union in Seattle after not being able to find funding for repairs stemming from a 2006 dock fire. After putting out a request for proposals NOAA chose Newport last summer for its new Pacific Marine Operations Center because of its proximity to the ocean and a lottery-backed state contribution to the construction of the facility.

After the decision lawmakers in the states of Oregon and Washington started a debate over where the fleet should be located, ultimately leading to a reassessment by NOAA. The City of Bellingham and Washington state Sen. Maria Cantwell argued that the Newport site was in a floodplain. But in March NOAA once again deemed Newport the best fit because the Bellingham site was also in a floodplain.

Cantwell again fought the issue and asked for a full environmental assessment of each potential site. After doing so NOAA made the final affirmation for Newport this morning. NOAA officials said the organization chose the Newport site because it offered the best value to the government with the highest technical rating and lowest price when compared to other sites.

Preparation work on the site of the $44 million facility began last fall when NOAA signed a 20-year renewable lease for the property.