January 24, 2018

Port of Kalama seeks developer for first phase of business park

Image from Port of Kalama [enlarge]

Part of the business park could be geared to travelers, with a gas station and restaurants.

The Port of Kalama is seeking a developer for the first phase of Spencer Creek Business Park, which is off exit 32 of Interstate 5 in Cowlitz County.

Port officials have issued a “request for interest” to develop the first 5 acres at the entrance to the 70-acre site. Proposals are due Feb. 28.

“The Port of Kalama seeks a partner that brings vision and expertise to the development of this important new mixed-use commercial site,” said port executive director Mark Wilson in a news release. “We've already made a significant investment in site preparation and infrastructure to support future development, and the port offers the financial capability and commitment to provide the necessary ongoing support to assure a successful outcome for the development.”

The port wants the business park to support a mix of light-industrial, office, commercial and retail uses. That could include freeway traveler amenities such as a hotel, convenience store/gas station and restaurants.

A port official said the business park would likely be developed over 20 years, in an undetermined number of phases. Market demand will dictate the pace of development, he said.

In 2016, heavy-civil contractor Scarsella Brothers moved about 250,000 cubic yards of sand from the North Port to the business park under a $1.1 million contract. That sand was used to fill, grade and compress the soil for future development.

Now Tapani Inc. is doing similar work to the remaining portion of the site under a $1.35 million contract.

Another project that will bid this spring will add a turn lane to Kalama River Road and Highway 99, plus a roundabout at their intersection. Both are two-lane roads that run through the business park.

The upcoming work is estimated at $5.5 million and will include about 3,600 feet of new road and related items such as sidewalks. It should be finished in the fall.

The port is financing the public improvements.

Construction of the business park and its operation are projected to create more than 1,000 jobs and inject millions of dollars into the local economy, according to the port.

“We fully expect the development of Spencer Creek Business Park to attract new commercial businesses to the region and provide more family wage jobs here,” Wilson said.

For more development information, see the notice in the Jan. 22 DJC.