An aerial view of U.S. Coast Guard Base Seattle. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard) 12 May 2021 The U.S. Coast Guard is proposing a renovation and expansion of its Seattle waterfront base that during the next decade will be home to three new icebreakers, and probably other vessels. The Coast Guard's aging Seattle operations hub supports Pacific Northwest and polar missions. It will have a higher profile role in the coming years as the U.S. ramps up its presence in an Arctic region rapidly changing as the climate warms. One option for the base's makeover would result in more than tripling the Coast Guard's acreage along the waterfront, according to a document published last week in the Federal Register. One of three under consideration, it involves the "acquisition" of up to 54.1 acres, mainly at Terminal 46, which is adjacent to the Coast Guard's current waterfront base.