Port of Pasco Purchases Balcom & Moe Land for Future Industrial Center

On October 31, 2019, the Port of Pasco finalized the purchase of 300-acres of land from Balcom and Moe, Inc., for the development of a new industrial center. The land is located about a mile north of the Port-developed Pasco Processing Center (PPC) off of Highway 395 at the north end of Pasco.

“In 2018, the Port sold the last large land parcel at the Pasco Processing Center. We are very excited to add this new property to the Port’s land portfolio as the next premier industrial park in our region,” stated Jean Ryckman, Port Commission President.

The land will remain in agricultural production while the Port begins planning and development of the site. It will gradually be converted to industrial use as new businesses move in. The Port expects full buildout to take up to 20 years.

The Port’s vision for this property is to replicate the success of the Pasco Processing Center. The PPC was a collaborative project between the Port of Pasco (site development), City of Pasco (industrial wastewater system) and Franklin PUD (new substation) that began in the early 1990’s. The purpose of the Processing Center was to recruit food processors to Pasco for economic diversification. The Pasco Processing Center collaboration won several awards, including the 2016 Visionary Award from the Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame. Several of the area’s largest processors now call the PPC home including Twin City Foods, Syngenta, Kenyon Zero Storage, and Resers.

The Port will again look to collaborate with Franklin County, the City of Pasco and Franklin PUD on development of the new property. The Port expects the new center will see many clients
similar to the Pasco Processing Center, but also expects new industry targets attracted to the available assets.

The property was purchased for $6.5 million. Funding came from the Port’s Economic Development Opportunity Fund and a $2.25 million loan from the Hanford Area Economic Investment Fund Board. The purchase price includes water rights which can be used for agricultural and industrial purposes.

“We have been searching for the right land for quite some time. The new property checks all the boxes with excellent road access to Highway 395 and the BNSF rail network, natural gas on-site, and electrical transmission already in place. It’s just a perfect fit for heavy industrial development and we are grateful to Balcom and Moe for working with the Port to complete the sale,” stated Randy Hayden, the Port’s Executive Director.