Could Tri-Cities become home to an aerospace industrial center?
The Tri-Cities Airport has received a new grant to help kick off the planning process for a new aerospace industrial center.
The $416,000 grant from the Washington Department of Commerce will help the Port of Pasco, which runs the airport, launch the master planning process for a new industrial aerospace development on 460 acres next to the airport. The port will spend $80,000 in matching grant funds, according to a port news release.
The port said the Aerospace Industrial Manufacturing (AIM) Center could help cater to niche manufacturing needs in areas such as electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft, private space exploration, vertical take-off and landing vehicles, autonomous flight systems, and uncrewed aerial vehicles.
“We are the third largest air carrier airport in the state with national and regional airlines operating here,” said Airport Director Buck Taft.
“The AIM Center is an exciting opportunity to utilize the airport’s significant asset — available land immediately adjacent to the runway system. Our vision includes direct access to the flight line for these new companies to serve their corporate and air freight needs,” he said.
The port will embark on a comprehensive master plan for the area. Due diligence will include traffic impact analysis, environmental assessment, geotechnical sampling, cultural and archaeological analysis, and a process for public engagement.
It’s the latest in a series of grants aimed toward expanding the airport’s footprint.
Last summer the airport received a $750,000 grant to begin exploring direct flights to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and $10 million in grants for a multi-phase expansion that will include two new taxiways and a road connection to add more business hangars.
Darigold plant
The Department of Commerce is also helping the city of Pasco invest in industrial infrastructure. The city was awarded a $5 million loan for water and sewage work to support Darigold’s new $600 million investment, according to a news release from the department.
Darigold amended its initial estimate of $500 million up to $600 million at the groundbreaking for the plant last fall.
The loan will help pay for construction and replacement of the city’s Process Water Reuse Facility, which will include a screening and grit removal headworks, two anaerobic digesters, a renewable natural gas system, and a biological nitrogen removal system, according to the news release.
The work is part of nearly $20 million in infrastructure work being taken on by Darigold, the Port of Pasco and the city of Pasco.
Previously state legislators approved $7.5 million in funding for the project, and most recently Washington’s two senators secured $3.6 million to run the last mile of railroad to the future Reimann Industrial Center and Darigold.
The port also was one of the first projects in the region to use the new Tax Increment Financing program, which allowed them to invest in a bond for about $7.5 million secured by projected income taxes over 20 years. The TIF allows Darigold to offset a portion of property tax to pay for infrastructure work.
While Darigold is the first and largest project in the area, the Reimann Industrial Center has 300 acres of land that will be developed for manufacturing and industrial uses.
The 400,000-square-foot plant will process about 8 million pounds of milk each day, and create an estimated 200 direct jobs and 1,000 related support positions. They hope to have the plant finished by the end of 2023.
