Construction started on Grandview 5-million-cubic-foot warehouse

A 5-million-cubic-foot cold storage warehouse under construction in Grandview is expected to yield significant economic returns for the Lower Valley community, officials say. But the extent of that impact is largely unknown.

The facility — being built by Portland-based Henningsen Cold Storage — will add millions to the community’s tax base, create hundreds of jobs and pay utility taxes on its electricity — a major economic boost for Grandview’s 11,200 residents, said Port of Grandview chairman Jim Sewell.

“In addition, the city, county and port district will benefit from the value of the construction of the buildings,” he said. Sewell didn’t have specifics on the facility’s construction costs or the number of jobs it would bring. He also wasn’t certain of exactly how much the business would generate in tax revenue.

Those details would be available when permits and licensing are completed.

The more than 111,000 square-foot facility, which will hold more than 20,000 pallet positions, is anticipated to be completed by summer 2018, said Henningsen spokesman Bill Daniel.

The building is being constructed in the Port of Grandview’s Bryan Business Park on about 26 acres near Interstate 82 and Stover Road, close to the Mid Valley Chrysler dealer. It’s the first of three planned phases.

Henningsen, like many other companies that have relocated to the Grandview area, chose the land because of its centralized location. Sewell said Grandview is equidistant from Spokane, Seattle and Portland.

“That makes us a transportation hub,” Sewell said. “We’re attractive for transportation and because of the large diversity of agricultural products grown in the valley.”

Daniel said the company anticipates storing mainly fruits and vegetables at the warehouse.

Henningsen, a family-owned corporation, is one of the largest public refrigerated warehousing companies in the U.S. It boasts 11 facilities in six states, totaling 60 million cubic feet of cold storage.

It operates a similiarly large facility in north Richland, next to Lamb Weston.

This story was originally published November 14, 2017 at 11:17 AM with the headline "Construction started on Grandview 5-million-cubic-foot warehouse."