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Friday, Feb. 15, 2008

Tri-Cities to have single home for business, tourism agencies (w/ video)

By Pratik Joshi, Herald staff writer

More than a 100 people showed up Thursday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Tri-Cities Business and Visitor Center in Kennewick.

And their smiling faces had a story to tell. Some marveled at the relative ease with which the idea of bringing the Tri-City Development Council, Tri-Cities Visitor & Convention Bureau and Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce under one roof became a reality.

Others felt excited about synergy and the potential economic development that the joint location could bring.

It'll enhance teamwork and promote a common vision of prosperity, said economic development consultant C. Mark Smith. Very few communities the size of the Tri-Cities can boast of a single home for business and tourism agencies, said Smith, Richland's former economic development manager.

Sharing space inside a common building will improve communication among staffers and make it easier for visitors and business clients to get information about the Tri-Cities, he said.

The proposed 14,650 square-foot building on Young Street and Grandridge Avenue near the Three Rivers Convention Center has been designed to provide separate work areas and common shared spaces including a conference room, lobby and an outdoor patio, said Carl Adrian, president and CEO of TRIDEC.

The $2.8 million building will be completed in about seven months, Adrian said, adding he hopes the building will become a focal point for the business community.

Adrian said proposal had been floating around for decades, but it only got wings after a team of lawyers worked out a way to create a limited liability partnership that would own the building, and allow three partners technically to lease space from themselves.

"It wasn't an easy process to go through," he said. But the end result pleased every one, he said, adding each tenant will pay according to the space it occupies.

TRIDEC will have 3,885 square feet, the visitor bureau will have 4,475 square feet and the chamber will have 2,917 square feet. The rest of the space will be used jointly, he said.

Mel Kent, president and CEO of the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce said the new building will send a message that "we're one" to the businesses that might be interested in coming the Tri-Cities.

It'll be a one-stop shop for small businesses and an information clearinghouse for visitors, said Kris Watkins, president and CEO of Tri-Cities Visitor & Convention Bureau.

The project will help the Tri-Cities showcase its potential to the world, said West Richland Mayor Dale Jackson. The new Tri-Cities Business and Visitor Center will be "the new gateway to prosperity," he said.