RPDA moves forward with Business Park, Ag Discovery Center project

The Ritzville Public Development Authority (RPDA) work is continuing on the proposed business park and ag discovery center.

With the Ritzville City Council and the Adams County Commissioners both signing off on the interlocal agreement the next step, according to RPDA President Erika Hennings, is to survey the land. As of Thursday, Dec. 18, surveyors were already working to measure the parcel of land.

After the legal description of the parcel is completed the RPDA will be able to enter into negotiations with the landowners.

Hennings said once negotiations begin, the project can hopefully begin to move forward better than before.

Hennings anticipated the negotiations with the landowner would begin after the first of the year.

“We actually have more of a focus ourselves now,” Hennings said.

Funding is the most difficult challenge for the project and can be tackled after negotiations over the land have been completed.

“The biggest challenge always will be funding. That’s why it’s so important to get the landowner on board with us and get an agreement with them,” Hennings explained. “Without that most funding agencies won’t even look at us.”

The location south of Weber Road on the edge of the city is ideal for the project.

“We want the visibility, that’s the big thing,” Hennings said.

The RPDA had the opportunity to travel to different locations around the state with Adams County Economic Development Director Stephen McFadden to look at other areas similar to the proposed business park idea. It was discovered that many businesses desired locations with close proximity to a freeway.

The location between both exits is excellent, said Hennings, with close proximity to the freeway for easy access and enough distance from Galbreath Way to avoid the congestion around the gas stations. Another benefit of being between the exits is people traveling on the freeway will notice the park and still have a chance to exit.

With Interstate 90 and Highway 395 so close, Hennings said the building would need to be architecturally dramatic in order to draw attention from the freeway.

“This was the area that they were interested in developing,” Hennings said. “They know we’re working on this and hopefully that means they are still interested in moving forward.”

With some businesses already expressing interest in locating in the proposed business park, the project is expected to move forward as quickly as possible. The RPDA already has a conceptual plan from an architectural group, but would need to further develop the layout for the business park as a part of their funding proposal.

The RPDA will also be working to acquire its 501(c) 3 tax-exempt status after the first of the year. The RPDA has been trying to work with and through other entities. With their own tax exempt status it will be possible for the RPDA to collect donations for the ag discovery center.

For the business park, the RPDA is focusing on value added agriculture, such as a flourmill.

“There’s a lot of products in the area and they don’t necessarily have to be from this area,” Hennings said. “We’ve already got a list of people from around the state and we’re going to touch base with a lot of them.”

Initially, the RPDA did not want to incorporate businesses with retail sales but that thinking has changed.

“We’ve kind of decided, after looking, we probably will have to do some kind of retail,” Hennings said.

She did not anticipate there being a large amount of retail facilities but rather used an example of a flourmill selling some of their products at the location.

Another aspect the RPDA is looking for businesses to integrate a form of education to help tie the business park with the discovery center. Some businesses have already expressed an interest to locate in the proposed park.

The RPDA is focusing more on the business park portion of the project, but there is discussion about creating a focus group of community members and area farmers that would work with the RPDA regarding the discovery center.

“We’re coming to the realization that probably the PDA will have to focus on the business park. But we would hopefully have this focus group that would start working the ag discovery center.”

Hennings explained the RPDA would like to have the ag discovery center and the business park progress at the same time so they share the same theme.

The project will continue to move forward into the new year as the members of the RPDA continue to work to bring the plan to life.

The next meeting of the RPDA is Jan. 21 at Ritzville City Hall at 6:30 p.m.

For more information about the project, contact RPDA Preseident Erika Hennings at 659-1033.