Port of Pasco: Reimann Industrial Center Named First BNSF Certified Site in Washington

BNSF Railway has designated the Reimann Industrial Center as one of its Certified Sites. The Reimann is the first BNSF Certified Site in the State of Washington.

This month, BNSF announced it would add the Reimann and three other sites to its roster of Certified Sites. Nationally, BNSF has certified 33 sites. The newest sites are Dodge City, Kansas; Seward, Nebraska; Upton, Wyoming; and Pasco.

“BNSF’s site certification puts the railroad’s stamp of approval on the Reimann Industrial Center. The Port is pleased and grateful to have earned this designation,” said Executive Director Randy Hayden. “The Port of Pasco is a multi-modal inland port district that proudly supports the movement of people, freight, and agricultural commodities via rail, roads, water, and air.”

The railroad’s Industrial Site Certification program is a rigorous process that identifies “optimal rail-served sites” via an in-depth review process. BNSF often works with a company in the early stages of its site selection process to help ensure freight mobility. According to BNSF’s website, the certified site designation helps its freight customers reduce development time, increase speed to market and diminish upfront development risk at rail-served industrial sites.

“BNSF’s Site Certification Program creates tremendous value for customers who are seeking a rail-served industrial site by accelerating the process required for economic growth and development,” said Chris Danos, Assistant Vice President, Economic Development. “A customer who builds a new rail-served facility at one of these sites is expected to save six to nine months of valuable construction time as a result of this shovel-ready program,” said Danos.

The Port and BNSF started the site certification process in August of 2021. BNSF utilized Strategic Development Group to conduct an economic development analysis of the Reimann, including a site visit in September of 2022. A Site Evaluation Report was completed by SDG in February 2022. In July the firm officially recommended the Reimann become a BNSF Certified Site.

Port of Pasco established the 300-acre Reimann Industrial Center in the fall of 2019. An engineering and market analysis master plan called for the site to be rail served since it was located across the street from the BNSF rail yard.

In 2020 Darigold, Inc. announced it would construct a rail-served dairy processing facility on 150 acres of the Reimann. The facility will become the largest dairy processor in North America. The $650 million project broke ground in September 2022 with completion expected in early 2024.

The Port of Pasco will construct more than $25 million in public infrastructure. Reconstruction of Railroad Avenue and the installation of a municipal water line will begin in December. Construction of the port-owned rail line will begin in 2023. Franklin County, City of Pasco, Franklin PUD, and Cascade Natural Gas are also making infrastructure improvements to serve the Reimann.

The Port of Pasco has several rail-served industrial sites including Pasco Processing Center and Big Pasco Industrial Center. At Big Pasco, the Port provides river access with a marine terminal that serves barge traffic that uses the Snake and Columbia Rivers. The Tri-Cities Airport is owned and operated by the Port. In 2019 the airport handled more than 400,000 passenger enplanements.