Port of Chehalis Receives $650K TransAlta Grant

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After nearly three years at full occupancy, the Port of Chehalis will once again have space available for lease.

This week, the Port of Chehalis received a $650,000 TransAlta grant for a building that will house up to eight businesses, and provide up to 200 jobs.

“The Port of Chehalis is very appreciative and thankful for this additional support,” said Mark Anders, Port of Chehalis commission president in a press release. “These funds will allow us to build a much bigger facility than originally planned, which will accommodate more jobs and give a bigger boost to the local economy.”

The Centralia Coal Transition Grants and Economic & Community Development Board, or ECD Board, announced on Thursday that it approved the $650,000 grant for the Port of Chehalis.

“A project that supports job opportunities falls well within the mission of the ECD Board,” said Lori Schmitt, member of the ECD Board in a press release. “There will be job opportunities to build the facility and if all goes as planned, the building will have tenants within a year. The board is looking forward to the commencement of construction and hearing that leases are being signed.”

The site, located at 105 McBride Court in Chehalis Industrial Park, has already been filled and graded. Port of Chehalis CEO Randy Mueller said site work will take a couple weeks and is set to begin any day now. He expects the 20,000 square-foot building to be complete by either spring or summer 2019.

He also said the port is designing the building so that it can easily be divided into smaller spaces for individual businesses. 

“We don’t know how many businesses we’ll have in there,” Mueller said. “Our preference is to make it available for small businesses. My first choice would not be for some business to lease up all 20,000 square feet at once.”

When asked when the port expects to begin leasing out space, Mueller said he would start taking calls now if someone inquires about the space.

“At this point, we know we are building the building,” Mueller said. “We are not exactly sure of the final dimensions of the finished space, but I would certainly be willing to have space for them in this building.” 



Mueller noted the port has been at full occupancy for almost three years.

“We have a list we keep every time someone calls or inquires about space,” Mueller said. “We track all those leads, like most businesses do. So as the building gets further toward completion, we will reach out to all those folks. Many will have found a space by now, but if they haven’t we certainly will let them know this building will be available.”

The Port of Chehalis is currently drafting its budget for 2019 and expects to complete the budget by the end of October. The port must determine how much funding it has for the project before it goes out to bid. 

At the port’s most recent meeting on Sept. 13, the draft for the 2019 capital budget included $1.05 million in grants and $800,000 from the port for the McBride Court building project. The $1.05 million grant figure includes the TransAlta grant, as well as $400,000 from Lewis County’s Distressed Counties Fund, commonly referred to as “.09 funds.” 

The Port of Chehalis’ application for the .09 funds is still pending, but Mueller expects to have an answer sometime in October. Even if the port does not receive the .09 funds, the building will still be 20,000 square feet.

“It might be kind of barebones without that $400,000, but we’ll build it,” Mueller said. 

The Centralia Coal Transition Grants provide money to Lewis and South Thurston County businesses, nonprofits and local governments. TransAlta USA funds the grant program to help communities transfer off of coal.

“We’re incredibly appreciative of this (grant),” Mueller said. “They have been a big supporter of economic development in the area and adding 200 employees to the Industrial Park at Port Of Chehalis is a great way to help compensate for the employment loss at TransAlta. …  They are doing great work.”