September 24th is the day for Tri-Citians to witness the grand opening of the new Clover Island Yacht Club in Kennewick. The Port of Kennewick is inviting the public to a ribbon cutting and reception to dedicate the new facility.
Ahoy Matey! Call the Port of Kennewick for an RSVP 586-1186, ext 2 by September 21.
Tri-Citians can help shape the future of Columbia Drive by taking an online survey and sharing their thoughts.
The input will help consultants hired by the Port of Kennewick develop a plan for 28 acres of riverfront south of Clover Island to spruce up the area and the shoreline between Clover Island and the cable bridge.
The survey, put together by Kennewick’s Arculus Design & Technical Services, is available at www.arculus.net. Click on projects and then on Columbia Drive Revitalization Plan.
The site also offers a downloadable copy of the draft plan, which proposes having an IMAX theatre, gondola, ice skating rink and lawn bowling court in the revitalized downtown area near Clover Island.
A carousel, amphitheater, condos, and restaurants are some of the other proposed features. The plan also shows many options, such as walking paths, wildlife viewing and paddleboat rentals, to enhance the charm of Duffy’s Pond and Catfish Island.
It’s about revitalizing downtown Kennewick and helping it become a destination in the next decade or so, port officials say.
It’ll reinvigorate the area, help the downtown identify itself and give community members something to readily connect to, said Steve Mallory, principal architect at Arculus.
The Arculus team continues to give presentations to community leaders and stakeholders to solicit ideas to take the project forward, he said.
Rep, Larry Haler, R-Richalnd, recently suggested potential funding options for the project after a presentation, Mallory said.
Ben Franklin Transit’s suggestion to have a transit center will be incorporated into the next draft plan, said Chris Baugh, project lead for Arculus. It’ll be on the southeast end of Columbia Park, he said.
A suggestion to have a pedestrian walkway on Washington Street to connect to historic downtown also will be included on the next draft, Mallory said.
The idea behind the survey is to get everyone involved and tweak the plans as needed, he said. “We’re completely open.”
A link to the survey is also available at the Port of Kennewick website at www.portofkennewick.org.
Source: Tri-City Herald
The city of Kennewick and Port of Kennewick discussed becoming tag-team partners in planning the future for the city’s riverfront district between the blue and cable bridges, including Clover Island, and resolving what to do with Vista Field during a 90-minute joint board and council meeting Monday.
The workshop at the Clover Island Inn focused on items of mutual concern but officials spent the most time talking about whether the Vista Field Airport should be closed.
The facility, which is on prime real estate managed by the Port of Kennewick, is coveted by developers for commercial and retail that would complement Three Rivers Convention Center. But airport proponents said it also has great economic potential if expanded.
Port officials have been reluctant to go either way.
“It’s been a real frustration,” said David Hansen, port chairman, who noted that the airport issue consumes nearly all of the port’s staff resources and time. “Everything else is at a standstill. It’s draining us and I’m tired of spending money (studying) it,” he said.
Kennewick Mayor Tom Moak said the airport is in the middle of where Kennewick would like to see development occur. “It could be the center of activities for the Tri-Cities,” he said.
And Steve Young, the Kennewick councilman most vocal about closing the airport, said indecision by the port commissioners has paralyzed the city at a time when big decisions in the Vista Entertainment District needs to be made.
“This issue is so critical. The community needs to know where we’re headed,” he said.
The joint meeting — apparently the first that anyone could recall in more that 20 years — ended with agreement that the city council and port commission will continue to talk about working in concert on common issues.
“The city is willing to work with the port but we don’t know what the port (commissioners) want,” Moak said.
Approximately 30 people attended the session, including several who spoke for and against keeping the airport.
A local port director is encouraging area young professionals to get involved in their community.
Tim Arntzen, Port of Kennewick director spoke to about 60 young professionals at the February group meeting at Backbone Panini and Wine Bar in downtown Kennewick.
Arntzen presented the Port’s plans for Clover island and waterfront development in Kennewick, including the new yacht club building and a planned 62-foot tall lighthouse on Clover Island.
Anrtzen said he wanted to make Clover Island appealing to young people and families, with walking paths and waterfront development, but to do that he needs to know what young professionals want.
“We want you to stand up and say something,” Artnzen said. He encouraged young professionals to apply for positioins on any of the six committees with current openings. Applications for those positions closed February 27.
A brainstorming session in January revealed a greater desire to know what’s going on in the communities, said Nathan Craghill, YPTC steering committee member.
“We thought it would be a good idea to have the Port come in and tell us what they’re planning to do and what they want from us,” he said.
Arntzen attended the meeting, where young professionals were on their hands and knees rebuilding the community with maps and Legos.
Arntzen’s presentation is part of the YPTC’s new format, said Angie Mykel, chairwoman of the group. Each meeting will have a specific focus, ranging from waterfront development, to the wine industry, Hanford and education.
“We want to let people know what’s going on,” Craghill said. “Unless they search for it and go to (city council or port) meetings on their own, there’s not a lot of information out there.”
The new format will help educate YPTC members, most whom have lived in the Tri-Cities for less than three years, in what is happening in the community.
“We wanted to find a way to report back on the information and what’s going on,” Craghill said.
Speakers are planned through 2009 and most of the presentations will be less than 30 minutes. At an upcoming meeting, Craghill and the other leaders of the group will go over meeting conduct — like the right time for public comment.
The March focus is public meetings and getting involved. Members have been asking for more ways to lead committees and help with organizations, Mykel said. This will give them some of the tools and contacts to do it.
Creating a master plan for landscaping the area’s rivershore and adding public art is the top recommendation of a new study released Wednesday by the Tri-Cities Rivershore Enhancement Council.
The study was completed by the Washington, D.C.-based Waterfront Center and is a follow-up to the original set of recommendations made in 1997.
Beautifying the shoreline is one of the more than 20 recommendations in the study, including extending trails, increasing rental opportunities for bikes, boats and other gear, and holding more events focused on the Sacagawea Heritage Trail.
“We are pleased with the number of project ideas that were presented in the Waterfront Center study,” said Kris Watkins, president and CEO of the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau. “Each of the jurisdictions now have the opportunity to review these projects and will set goals at the April rivershore enhancement council meeting as to how they will accomplish each of the recommendations.”
Ann Breen and Dick Rigby, co-directors of the center, visited the Tri-Cities last fall. The two toured the area by foot, boat and car, and held meetings with several community leaders and groups.
Some of Breen and Rigby’s positive findings during their visit included the enhancement of Clover Island, the Hanford Reach National Monument and the B Reactor’s recent designation as a National Historic Landmark, the trail network and more.
Other issues community members brought up also need to be addressed. Local boaters cited a need for more docks, fueling and repair facilities and places to buy food and drinks, according to the report.
A recreation study done by active local boaters could help map existing facilities and plan good spots for new ones, the study suggested. The report also noted the lack of “commercial bustle” along the shore, such as cafes.
The report also recommends working with the Army Corps of Engineers and the area’s members of Congress to attempt to streamline the permitting process.
Breen and Rigby praised the rivershore enhancement council in the report for the work it’s done since the last study.
The report said the rivershore enhancement council’s accomplishments to date “are numerous and powerful. We have several suggestions for the group to consider, but basically it wants to continue its work, charge ahead and not lose momentum.”
The study was commissioned by the cities of Kennewick, Richland and Pasco, along with the Ports of Benton, Kennewick and Pasco and the bureau.
While the area housing market dipped and retail sales slowed in 2008, Mid-Columbia ports and economic development organizations took their tasks seriously, helping businesses grow and creating new jobs. The local ports use their tax dollars in different ways to accomplish that job creation goal. They sell bare land to companies or lease buildings. Sometimes they develop property for sale or to lease for small business development. The main goal is to create jobs and economic development.
The Port of Pasco sold land to Syngenta, which is in the midst of building a $42 million seed processing plant at the Port’s Pasco Processing Center off Highway 395. The 130,000 square foot facility will produce vegetable seeds that will be sold around the world. The seed processing plant will have about 25 full-time employees and an annual payroll of about $4 million.
Local growers will benefit from the new plant through an anticipated $12 million in contracts that will be offered by Syngenta, a Switzerland-based agribusiness. Jim Toomey, the Port’s executive director, said the development not only brings in millions of private investment dollars to the community, it creates tax revenue without putting additional stress on area schools and city services.
The Port sold 29 acres to Syngenta for the project for $1.2 million and hopes the project will spur more development at the Pasco Processing Center. Toomey said the Port spent $800,000 to improve rail infrastructure in the center to bring the 16 miles of rail line that was built in 1940′s up to today’s standards.
“Now we have the capability to handle containers and bulk rail and we’ve seen a steady increase for the bulk rail demand, especially with an increase of windmill components being shipped,” he said.
Also in 2008, the Port of Pasco began plans to develop two miles of its riverfront shoreline that is not impeded by a levy. “We are striking a development agreement with the city,” said Toomey. “And we are in the design stages of the first building on the land.” The Port hopes to create a riverfront development that includes restaurants and small shops, he said.
The Port, also operates the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco, which is why its staff is three to four times larger than those at other are Ports and also why the Port’s operating budget is more than twice that of the Port of Benton or the Port of Kennewick.
At the Port of Kennewick, several construction projects were underway on Port property in 2008, said Larry Peterson, the port’s director of planning and development. In June, the port completed a 34,000 square-foot building at Spaulding Business Park for Vista Engineering and in August, construction was completed on an 18,000 square-foot office and warehouse at Vista Field Industrial Park for Consolidated Supply.
One of the largest projects was a 30,000 square-foot building at Vista Field where Infinia will manufacture its solar dishes. The company is expected to add up to 100 new workers at the plant. The Port also sold the land to developers for the South Ridge Village, where a 10,000 square-foot office and retail building has already been built. Peterson said the Port is continuing its $5 million redevelopment of Clover Island where its shiny new office overlooks the marina.
The Port has demolished the former Clover Island Yacht Club to make room for a new 12,000 square-foot building. The club will lease the bottom level of the two-story building and the top level will be available.
The Port is also planning the develop the Willows Trailer Court off East Columbia Drive, which it bought in 2007 for $1.5 million. During 2008, port officials negotiated to buy the old trailers on the 6.75 acre property. Once all the trailers are removed, the property may be sold to a private developer. Peterson said the goal is to create a vibrant, attractive waterfront with restaurants, condominiums and small shops.
At the Port of Benton, 2008 was a landmark year. The Port celebrated its 50th anniversary. It continued work at Prosser’s Vintner’s Village, where Milbrandt Vineyards completed its 3,000 square-foot tasting room, followed by Bunnell Family Cellar’s 3,700 square-foot tasting room next door.
The Port sold the final two lots at the wine village to brothers Bob and Roger Gamache who have started construction on a 3,000 square foot tasting room for Gamache Vineyards. Since land in the initial development had all been bought, port officials bought 17 acres adjacent to Vintner’s Village that they plan to start developing this year.
At the Prosser Airport, port officials also built a 12,000 square foot addition to the existing FruitSmart headquarters, allowing the company to expand production. And also in Prosser, Mike Hogue and Bud Mercer finished a 15,000 square-foot, 65,000-case wine production facility for Mercer Estates at the Port’s Prosser Wine and Food Park. Hogue and Mercer are also completing a 12,000 square-foot tasting room and barrel storage facility adjacent to the production building.
In Benton City, the port purchased an existing building that it is remodeling to transform into two retail store fronts for wine or wine-related businesses.
One of the Port’s proudest projects of 2008 is its new $1.5 million freight transload facility, which opened in October at Richland’s Horn Rapid Industrial Park off Kingsgate Way. Henningsen Cold Storage is operating the 7,200 square-foot temperature controlled facility and the Tri-City and Olympia Railroad pull the cars from North Richland to connect to Union Pacific or Burlington Northern Santa Fee rail lines.
The Port is also in the process of reconstruction of the runway at the Richland Airport, a project with a price tag of about $2.2 million. FAA grants paid for 95 percent of the construction. Scott Keller, the Port’s executive director, credited the port’s staff for its success in obtaining grants totaling $4.8 million during 2008.
Keller said the Port spent $9.4 million on capital projects in 2008 and collected about $3.1 million in lease and other revenue. It collected $1.8 million in taxes, which the port uses to build roads and improve infrastructure to attract new tenants to port facilities. TRIDEC, a regional economic development organization was involved in many of the area port’s larger projects, including Syngenta.
Deanna Smith, TRIDEC’s marketing director, said the organization responded to 78 businesses seeking information about the area, from what properties and services are available to demographics and worker availability. “Competition for facilities is intense,” Smith said. “Although many companies narrow the list of potential sites in a few months, some cases are managed over a much longer period of time.”
Much of TRIDEC’s business recruitment is done behind closed doors, takes hundreds of hours and can end abruptly. “This year we made the final cut on two very significant projects, however, then the economic downturn started, many nationwide projects, including those, were put on hold for the moment,” she said.
Much of TRIDEC’s focus this year went to trying to encourage Areva to build its new uranium enrichment plant in the Tri-Cities – only to have the company announce it would go to Idaho. “Losing a deal like that when it’s down to two locations is never an easy pill to swallow, but the good news is that Areva will continue being a major player in our community and our relationship with the corporation is solid,” Smith said.
Smith said TRIDEC employees attend marketing and sales trips outside the state and collaborate with the state’s Community, Trade and Economic Development office on Team Washington trips to market the state. Although a large amount of time was spent recruiting businesses to the area, TRIDEC staff also visited existing manufacturing companies in Benton and Franklin counties to determine what needs they have, future plans and how the organization might help them.
