In separate agenda items, Vancouver port commissioners unanimously voted Tuesday to execute purchase and sale agreements for the Alcoa Aluminum and Evergreen Aluminum properties.
The port needs the properties to expand its rail service, provide shovel-ready industrial property with which to attract new marine and industrial customers and preserve the waterfront property for future industrial customers, said port staff.
Commissioners Arch Miller, Brian Wolfe and Nancy Baker voted to implement the agreement with Evergreen for its 110.87 acres for no more than $24.5 million. The deal will not close before March 31.
And after an hour-long discussion about environmental clean-up efforts and concerns relating to the Alcoa site, the commission voted to finalize the terms of the sale agreement.
The 107.2-acre property will sell for $23.75 million. However, about 8 acres of the property is in review because it may belong to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.
The commission approved a purchase and sale agreement with Alcoa in June, pursuant to passage of the Industrial Development District levy, which failed in the August primary. After its defeat, the two parties continued negotiations and arrived at the amended agreement the commission approved Tuesday.
Alcoa will clean the property to industrial standards and then the port will pay to maintain the property, which could be $25,000 per year.
"We want to clean it up, make sure it's capped and then take the property and return it to productive use in our community," Miller said. "At one point, this property supported 600 jobs…From a community standpoint, we've got to get it cleaned up. It's my No. 1 goal, even before jobs. And who better to own it than the port?"
Tuesday was Miller's last meeting after 18 years on the commission. He was unseated by Jerry Oliver in the November election.
Several community leaders and citizens testified in support of the sale agreements.
"This is what we've been waiting for," said Cager Clabaugh, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 4. "That land represents a lot of jobs in the community…It's been down there not doing anything for too long."
