The Port of Ridgefield has finalized an agreement with the Washington state Department of Enterprise Services for the construction and leasing of an $8 million, 31,400-square-foot building to house the regional headquarters of the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW).
Negotiations between the port and the state agency have been taking place since the end of last year, when the port was named the apparent successful proposer in a bid process.
WDFW employs approximately 100 people at its Vancouver location, serving six different counties in Southwest Washington. It is currently located at 2108 Grand Blvd., but the agency has been looking to relocate for several years.
Once construction on the Ridgefield building is complete, all WDFW operations will move to the port-owned site at S 11th Street. In addition to the office facility, plans call for 10,000 square feet of covered, secure storage.
“This is fantastic news for the community,” said Port of Ridgefield Commission Chair Scott Hughes, in a press release. “Our commission and staff are thrilled to be able to bring this significant employer to Ridgefield.”
Brent Grening, CEO of the Port of Ridgefield, said Fish and Wildlife’s move to Ridgefield may help spur future economic development in the area.
“The WDFW development will be attractive to other developers and retailers who want to capitalize on the proximity to 100-plus new employees,” he said. “The project also showcases Ridgefield as a growing employment hub.”
Building design, site analysis and permitting for the new facility is now underway. The port expects to finish construction by June 30, 2017.
