Chehalis-Centralia Airport Operations Coordinator Brandon Rakes updates members of the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce on Thursday about ongoing projects and plans for the facility.
The Chehalis-Centralia Airport is in good shape and well positioned to take advantage of opportunities as they come knocking.
That was the overarching message from Airport Operations Manager Brandon Rakes as he addressed members of the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce on Thursday.
As the keynote speaker at the Chamber’s monthly meeting, Rakes provided updates on key items such as the lease with Rich Development Enterprises and plans for a $2.8 million taxiway realignment project this summer.
The prospect of future growth via retail development, upgrades to the aviation facilities and the evolution of commercial airspace in Washington made the 40-minute presentation one filled with positivity.
“We still retain ownership of our (commercial) property and rent that comes in from it helps to fund the airport,” Rakes said. “Our airport costs us zero dollars as a community. That’s a major, major asset for this community.”
Much of the room was most interested in hearing the latest news about the planned 70,000 square-foot shopping center to be constructed by Rich Development Enterprises over the next couple of years.
The city of Chehalis signed a 10-year lease with RDE late last year for more than 16 acres of land between Dutch Bros. and I-5 Toyota on NW Louisiana Avenue. The California-based development firm currently holds seven letters of intent — four from major retailers and three from restaurants — for the shopping center, according to Rakes.
Those letters of intent are not binding, but are promising steps in the process as RDE prepares to break ground as soon as this fall. Rakes said the firm’s real estate committee was set to begin its review process on Thursday, which could lead to more information about potential timeframes and tenants in short order.
“If this comes to full fruition, this could be a major economic development for our area,” Rakes said. “It could bring in a lot of jobs, some of them family wage, some will be service jobs, but they’re still jobs. This will help hopefully to diversify some of the business we have in the area.”
Rakes also pointed to the taxiway realignment project as an economic boost for the area. The construction, mostly funded by the Federal Aviation Administration, will be completed largely by Lewis County workers using materials purchased in the county.
Charging stations for electric vehicles will soon be installed on airport land. Grant funding from the Washington State Department of Transportation financed the addition, which will be the first in Chehalis.
Rakes also spoke highly of plans to add aviation into the STEM program next year at W.F. West High School. The curriculum developed by Purdue University and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association will be available beginning with a student’s sophomore year via the Certificates of Proficiency (CTE) program.
“We’re going to see some major changes in what an aviator is in the coming years,” Rakes said. “… the curriculum will be looking at both unmanned aircraft systems and traditional pilots.”
As to the long-term future of the Chehalis-Centralia Airport, Rakes brought up state Senate Bill 5370, which would create a state commercial aviation coordinating committee tasked with recommending a site for a second small-scale commercial air facility to pair with Paine Field in Everett.
Paine Field recently opened two gates for commercial air traffic, mostly regional-type flights, in an effort to relieve some of the pressures on Sea-Tac Airport. The committee would examine the state by region and select one by the end of 2020, with the goal of opening that new airport by 2040.
Rakes said that in his opinion, Chehalis was unlikely to work as an expanded, commercial airport, but that Southwest Washington would be a prime candidate for such a facility. He sees his airport as being better suited for smaller commercial uses.
“We’re going to see things like Amazon delivery drones, things like Uber, and a lot of different systems come into play,” Rakes said. “The airport really gives us the infrastructure for those things. … I would say we’re in pretty good condition as we go forward.”
