LEWIS COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC FACILITIESPROJECT PROPOSAL

Date: October 28, 2016 / Lewis County #
Applicant: Port of Chehalis / Address: 321 Maurin Road
Contact Name: Rick Rouse
/ City, State, Zip: Chehalis, WA 98532
County: Lewis / Phone: 360-748-9365
Signature Position of person authorizing submittal:
Randy Mueller, Chief Executive Officer / Fax/Email:
Email:
Fax: none
Project Title:
Dawson Road Commercial Site Development
Project Type: (specify your current need)
□ Engineering.
X Infrastructure development
□ Building construction.
Total project cost : $1,200,000
Is your request a funding gap?YesX No
Amount raised to date:$200,000 / What are you requesting now?: $1,000,000
Is this a phased in Project? YesXNo / If yes, how many phases and how many years?
Phases: Two (2)Years Two (2)
Is this a Loan □ or a Grant Xrequest?

1. Briefly describe your project. When did you start work on it? Who is involved? What is the scope of the project? (Use provided space only.) The Port of Chehalis owns 10 acres of prime commercial real estate at 2726 Jackson Highway. Currently, one acre is leased to a commercial business. This project will fully develop another 7 acres for a potential commercial development. The Port is receiving increased interest in this property due to its location and available utilities. Recent interest has been from firms seeking to bring dozens of job to our community with each paying far above the median wages for the state. The Port of Chehalis proposes a two phase approach to preparing this property for near future development. Phase 1 will be in early 2017 with site design (see attached), grade and fill, demolitionof existing leased structures, reposition utility manholes and relocate utilities as needed, and leveling of the property to facilitate stormwater runoff. Phase 2 will be full development to include 7 acres of structural fill, extension of existing utilities already on the property, final design and construction specifications, and commencementof tenant driven construction activities. This application requests $1,000,000 in funding, with phase 1 to be funded immediately and phase 2 to be funded contingent once a lease or sale contract has been executed with an employer in the biomedical industry that will employ at least 200 persons at wages above the Lewis County average annual wage.

2. How does the project satisfy, in whole or in part, your economic diversification strategy?

The mission of the Port of Chehalis is to be a catalyst for economic growth and diversification by recruiting new business and industry. This project is designed to attract abusiness to our community and provide them a location to build or lease and employ local residents. This project is being built on prime commercial property owned by the Port of Chehalis within minutes of Interstate 5 and at the intersection of two busy rural arterials. Recent interest by an employer has shown that this development could lead to the creation of over 200 high paying jobs with wages well in excess of the state median wage.

3. Is this project a documented county wide priority? No

□Yes it ranks □(1st, 2nd, etc.) in our county wide prioritization process.

4. Summarize efforts taken to date regarding the project in terms of specific steps/studies and dates of action, where appropriate. (Use provided space only.)

A. Is this project part of a plan (capital facilities, growth management, business, etc.)Yes. Port of Chehalis Capital Facilities Plan for 2017

B. What engineering reports and feasibility studies have been prepared, and when?Preliminary site design and engineering has been paid for by the Port and is attached to this application.

5. Summarize efforts you've taken to date regarding the project in terms of: (Give specific titles and dates of adoption where appropriate. (Use provided space only.)

  1. Have you secured funds for this project from local, state or federal programs or foundations? Specify sources, including local match and dollar amounts. If there are conditions attached to any of these secured funding sources, please specify.

In 1994 the Port purchased this property. In 1995 we installed water/sewer utilities and an internal circulation road with a combination of federal and state funding. Those loans have long since been paid off. The Port is seeking $1,000,000 now for further development of the property.

  1. Are there other efforts you have made that are unique to this project?

This property was originally acquired by the Port in 1994. In 1995 the Port installed underground utilities which included commercial sized natural gas, water and sewer. Dawson Road was also platted and dedicated and today remains a permitted driveway off Rush Road. In 1996 a retail nursery/greenhouse enterprise was established on one acre of the property in buildings constructed and leased to them by the Port. Since then the facility has seen several tenants with the majority of the land along Jackson Highway being left unused.

What are the anticipated outcomes of this project in terms of the criteria identified below? Quantify information where possible. (If a section does not apply, mark it "NA".)

How many full-time, permanent jobs will this project create or retain? Retain?0Create in 1-3 years?200Create in 3-5 years?300
What is the size of the population that will benefit by these infrastructure improvements?
Lewis County, 76,000
How will this project improve local infrastructure capacity?
This project develops commercial zoned land for building construction. The project extends and connects the existing city owned utilities to a user resulting in additional revenue to the City of Chehalis.
How many businesses do you plan on serving with this project? At least one
How many months will the work on this project take to complete? 18 months in two phases. Construction will commence summer of 2017 and be completed by October 31, 2018.
  1. Are there other factors significant to this project that we should be aware of, such as emergency declaration, bird in hand industry, volunteer efforts, etc? (Use provided space only.)

This project will develop property to lease or sell to a client desiring to build a 80,000 sf professional building. The Port has worked diligently to develop this property to attract a tenant like this for job creation in our community.

  1. What quantifiable outcomes are you going to track to measure the success of this project? (Use provided space only.)

The quantifiable outcome is to have at least one major commercial property development employing up to 300additional workers,whose wages exceed the state median, within 5 years of its construction.

REVISED 9/971