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Port of Ridgefield Property Being Considered for WDFW SW Region HQ
12/12/2011 12:00:00 AM
News Release
For Immediate Release: December 12, 2011
Port of Ridgefield Property Being Considered for WDFW SW Region HQ
The state of Washington is currently considering a proposal by the Port of Ridgefield regarding a facility on Port property that could potentially become home to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s southwest region headquarters office after their lease of a building in Vancouver expires. The property is part of the Port’s Discovery Ridge office park located on the southeast corner of Pioneer Street and 45th Avenue in Ridgefield. If an agreement is reached, the Port will finance and construct office space to house up 100 state employees. Plans also call for indoor storage, covered outdoor storage, and fenced yard storage for research, boats and other field equipment along with 150 public/employee parking spaces and additional secured parking spaces for agency vehicles. In addition to WDFW staff, some of the space may be sublet by the State Department of Ecology and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
“The Port’s plans for the building, designed specifically for the WDFW and DOE, include new construction specifications meeting LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] Silver certification”, said Randy Mueller, Director of Business Development for the Port. “The opportunity may also exist to achieve an even better rating for the project, depending on the final configuration of the building.” Cost of the project is estimated at $9.2 million.
Long term lease rates to the State would be negotiated, but the initial rate would match rates being paid by the WDFW at their current location in Vancouver. Terms of the lease will also include a negotiated option to purchase the facility. Construction and occupancy timelines have not been determined, but are projected to be 12 to 24 months after an agreement has been reached.
According to Brent Grening, Executive Director for the Port, “Locating within Discovery Ridge could be a huge advantage for WDFW. By design, Discovery Ridge is a 30 acre office park whose focus is on attracting environmental sciences and other complimentary fields of research and development. Cross collaboration, and the sharing of ideas and research have obvious benefits to both public and private organizations. We are very enthusiastic about the talks we’ve had with the state so far and the possibility of WDFW becoming the anchor tenant as it were and kicking off this entire development concept.”
“Certainly the Port believes that locating in Ridgefield is a great match for the department [WDFW], especially considering their areas of responsibility which include not only Clark County, but Cowlitz, Lewis, Skamania, Klickitat and Wahkiakum counties as well”, said Bruce Wiseman, Port of Ridgefield Commissioner. “We are proposing a site that is about 90 seconds from the newly constructed Ridgefield I-5 interchange which will cut driving time for field employees, and that means cost savings. It’s also more convenient for the general public who need to do business with the agency”, Wiseman concluded.
About the Port of Ridgefield
The Port of Ridgefield was formed in 1940 and is charged with bringing economic development to the greater Ridgefield area. The Port district covers approximately 57 square miles, represents over 15,000 constituents and is led by three elected commissioners: Joe Melroy, Bruce Wiseman, and Scott Hughes. The Port is currently involved with the environmental cleanup and redevelopment of the Ridgefield waterfront, Pioneer Street Rail Overpass and other projects.
Public meetings are held the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at Port offices located at 111 W Division St. Ridgefield WA. Meetings start at 3:00 PM. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information about the Port, visit www.portridgefield.org or:
Contact: Michael Williams
Marketing & Communications Manager
360.887.3873
mwilliams@portridgefield.org