City officials report Tri-Cities has bright future

This story was published Thursday, January 31st, 2008

JOHN TRUMBO, HERALD STAFF WRITER

Nearly 300 people trudged through snow and ice Wednesday to hear mayors from the Tri-Cities praise the region's economic growth, reduced crime and prospects for the future.

"We are building a better community," declared Jim Beaver, Kennewick's mayor, as he led the audience in an audio tour of his city's recent accomplishments.

Beaver was one of five speakers at the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce's annual "State of the Cities" luncheon held at TRAC in Pasco.

Mayors from Pasco, Richland and Walla Walla joined Beaver and West Richland's interim city administrator, Donna Noski, in reporting about their communities' best features and plans for 2008.

"We are no longer a small town," said Noski, who noted that West Richland is adding to its 10,850 residents and has seen a dozen new businesses open in the past year.

"We have shopping centers developing and are cleaning up and developing our eastern corridor," Noski said.

And 8,000 acres next to Red Mountain offers great potential for more wineries and other businesses, she said.

Walla Walla Mayor Dan Johnson said sweet onions, wheat and wine tourism will continue to drive his city's growth. Getting Highway 12 expanded to four lanes all the way to Walla Walla is a priority, as is the effort to bring a new veterans medical center to the county.

Downtown Walla Walla also may get its much-needed parking garage and will be looking to add as many as 1,000 more hotel rooms for the community, Johnson said.

Richland Mayor John Fox ticked off a list of recent achievements in the city, including completing the eight-lane freeway into town and reconstruction of George Washington Way and replacing all old steel waterlines in town.

Fox said there has been steady growth at Horn Rapids and in south Richland, and the city is beginning "to catch up with our sister cities" in retail revenue as more stores are established in the city.

Fox pointed to projects under way that will add to Richland's prestige and benefit. They include the six-story medical tower at Kadlec Medical Center, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's physical sciences building being constructed in the 300 Area, plans to add facilities in the Tri-Cities Research District that will attract high-tech development, and various developments at Columbia Point.

Fox said the challenge will be balancing quality of life and cultural assets in Richland while accommodating growth.

Pasco's growth spurt is far from over, said Mayor Joyce Olson.

"We expect to be 52,000 people by April," she said, adding that big changes are coming within five years too.

Olson said attracting commercial and industrial development is the new focus, with the Pasco Processing Center and Heritage Industrial Center as top priorities. Pasco also is getting a new high school, which is another sign that growth and change are at work in the city.

Olson said greater efforts will be made this year to revitalize the central business district in Pasco.

Pasco's crime rate is down, too, being less than the state average, the mayor said.

Beaver said Kennewick's crime rate is the lowest in 14 years. He said the city's tax rate is down, the city's new police station -- which was built without raising taxes -- will open in the spring, and city leaders are looking at regionalization of firefighting efforts with other agencies.

The city also has changed inside city hall by creating a one-stop customer service center for the public.

Beaver said Kennewick is a progressive community that has a strong volunteer base and a positive look to the future.

"We are a community in motion. And communities in motion don't stop," Beaver said