Port of Benton: Optimistic about the future
There are 75 public port districts in Washington state, with three in the Tri-Cities. We are economic engines that generate jobs and enhance the region’s quality of life.
At Port of Benton, we have been working on several projects to create economic development opportunities for the community. Although last year was challenging, we accomplished a lot.
Recruiting New Business & Supporting Growth
First and foremost, we ensured a safe work environment for our team and tenants, instituting COVID-19 protocols and staggering staff shifts to remain flexible to meet our tenants’ needs. These measures have minimized our occupancy loss to less than 7%.
In spite of the economy, we filled our newest building at Vintner’s Village in Prosser. Wautoma Springs, Sister to Sister on the Ave and Domanico Cellars joined a restaurant, bed and breakfast and 10 wineries. This popular destination continues to help increase Prosser wine tourism.
To attract manufacturing, research, and advanced technology companies, we are readying hundreds of acres of industrial land in north Richland. We partnered with the City of Richland and Tri-Cities Research District to promote these sites. In fact, we recently collaborated on a new discoverrichland.com website to share and leverage the region’s competitive advantages.
Fostering Tourism
Tourism underpins our economic development mission, and identifying opportunities to position our area as a destination for visitors is essential to promoting the region’s assets.
We expect soon to announce a new operator for the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center in Prosser to continue the previous nonprofit’s mission of telling the story about Washington’s rich wine and agriculture industries.
Our team completed improvements and repairs to Crow Butte Park near Paterson to give campground, park and marina guests a safe outdoor place to go. We also launched a new crowbutte.com website. For the first time, visitors can pay for parking passes with credit cards ahead of time for a contactless experience.
In addition, we continue to support Visit Tri-Cities’ STEM tourism initiatives at the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Washington State University Tri-Cities’ Hanford History Project and our USS Triton Sail Park to help diversify the economy and preserve history.
Preparing for the Future
Our initiatives are guided by a 10-year strategic plan to support the region’s growth and vitality.
A new portofbenton.com website provides direct access to our strategic plan and budget. The site also highlights key projects such as the Richland Airport Master Plan update.
Our goal at the airport is to increase air traffic to support area expansion, giving local businesses more regional and national travel options.
We are optimistic about the future and inspired by the new and unexpected opportunities ahead because we know our work is vital to the prosperity of the region and makes a difference in the lives of community members. On behalf of the Port of Benton commissioners and team members, it is a privilege to serve, and we thank you.
This story was originally published April 30, 2021 at 12:30 AM with the headline "Port of Benton: Optimistic about the future ."