Port approves Building 17 contract

The Port of Camas-Washougal Commission has taken the next step to add another building to the Steigerwald Commerce Center. Commissioners have authorized Executive Director David Ripp to sign a $195,590 engineering and design contract with Johansson Architecture, PC, of Battle Ground. The price includes a $10,000 business development credit, from the architectural firm. That approval, pertaining to a 25,000 square foot Building 17, occurred during the Aug. 19 commission meeting. Three days later, Port Finance Director Kim Noah informed attendees at a planning conference the port could apply for a federal grant, that would result in the construction of a 50,000 square foot Building 17. If the port is approved for an Economic Development Administration grant, the cost of engineering and design will increase due to the larger size of the building. The full occupancy of the port's industrial park is something the EDA wants to see, according to Noah. "Time is of the essence to get this application in," she said. The deadline to apply is in October, and the port will find out if it is successful in obtaining an EDA grant in November. Ripp said Foods in Season, which is leasing Building 15 in the commerce center, at 4125 S. Lincoln St., Washougal, is looking for an additional 8,000 to 12,000 square feet of space. During the conference at the Heathman Lodge, in Vancouver, potential capital projects for 2015 were mentioned. They include new runway lighting at Grove Field Airport ($150,000), the replacement of exposed 'fingers' on "D" and "E" rows and the fuel dock wood in the marina ($60,000), and Index Street repairs ($25,000). A back-up generator system is budgeted at $200,000, and the purchase of an SUV is listed at $30,000. There were also conversations regarding a remodel of the port's 30-year-old administrative office building, at 24 S. "A" St., Washougal. That potential budget item is listed at $250,000. The three- to five-year capital improvement plan includes the potential expenditures of $250,000 in 2017 and 2018 for the design and construction of additional hangars at Grove. Noah said there is a waiting list for airplane tie-down spaces, and some individuals are seeking space in hangars. There are currently 79 hangars owned by the port, as well as nine privately owned hangars built by Immelman Hangars. According to Noah, the monthly rental rates for the port-owned hangars are $171 to $321, while the rates are $300 to $491 at Pearson Field Airport, in Vancouver. Port Commissioner Bill Ward wants to see some income-producing activity at Grove Field, and he wondered if storage units could be located there. Noah said a multipurpose building could house a car rental company, and airport-related zoning would also allow for a restaurant.

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