Port of Pasco: Creating for the future: Let’s do it again
Port Commissioner Ron Reimann was a pioneer and leader in irrigated agriculture in the state of Washington. Prior to his passing in 2017, he was serving as president of the Port of Pasco and urging continued investment in Franklin County to spur economic development.
It is fitting that the Port’s newly acquired industrial property has been named the Reimann Industrial Center in his honor.
The Port began looking for property for future industrial development several years ago. The new site had to be large enough to handle development well into the future, have access to Highway 395 and the BNSF rail network, proximity to utilities and avoid residential areas.
After several years of searching, the Port identified 300 acres just north of the Pasco Processing Center.
In late October of 2019, the Port finalized the purchase from Balcom and Moe, Inc. Jared Balcom understood the impact for the community and his civic-minded approach helped us put the land purchase together.
The property was purchased for $6.5 million. Funding came from the Port’s Economic Development Opportunity Fund and a $2.25-million loan from the Hanford Area Economic Investment Fund Board. The purchase includes water rights that can be used for agricultural and industrial purposes.
The new property checks all the boxes with excellent road and rail, natural gas on-site, and electrical transmission already in place. It’s a perfect fit for heavy industrial development.
Food processing and more
With the Reimann Industrial Center property now in the Port’s portfolio, work has begun toward its development. Steps include creating a master plan, permitting, collaborating with utility providers, meeting with other stakeholders including TRIDEC, neighboring landowners and existing businesses, and identifying potential businesses.
What kind of industry could be attracted to the site? We believe it has great potential and can be the home to a diverse consortium of businesses. We are creating a plan with built-in flexibility. We want to be ready to meet the needs of businesses and industries looking for opportunities for development and growth.
Our goals for the site are our goals for the Port: create access to opportunities and foster private sector investment. These goals create a vibrant community to attract and retain talented individuals and their families.
Building on past success
These are lofty goals, but we know from experience what we can achieve when we work together. In the late 1980s, the economy of this region was reeling from the shutdown of the nuclear plant construction and a slowdown in the agricultural industry. The looming question for community leaders was how to turn it all around.
It took a big idea: leverage and support that agricultural base with the creation of a food processing center. And it took some courage because the investment would need to be made with no guarantees. It took a “build it and they will come” mentality. Through important partnerships between the Port, the City of Pasco, Franklin PUD, Tridec and others, the 250-acre Pasco Processing Center was born and opened in 1995.
Fast forward 20-plus years, and the Port sold the final piece of property at the site.
Since its opening, the Processing Center has provided an important tax base, employment and support to the region’s economy. It houses a number of companies, including food processors, warehousing, logistics and service providers to the food processing and agricultural industries. The Processing Center generates $1.9 million in property tax for schools and local governments annually and provides jobs to an estimated 1,400 people.
These numbers are a salute to the collaboration and work of those visionaries.
Now, once again, we have taken first steps and look forward to seeing how the Reimann Industrial Center unfolds with our vision, persistence and collaborative efforts.
This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Port of Pasco: Creating for the future: Let’s do it again."