Economic development projects include a business incubator site in Manson and increased water capacity in areas of Chelan

information released

Chelan County commissioners have awarded nearly $1.2 million in grants to a variety of projects that focus on economic development or affordable housing.

On Aug. 26, commissioners awarded $1,182,000 to five projects, which range from building a business incubator site in Manson to upgrading utilities on a portion of Wenatchee Avenue to ongoing construction of eight affordable homes in Wenatchee.

Now in its fourth year, the annual Cascade Public Infrastructure Fund grant program, or CPIF, was created to help finance public projects that facilitate the creation or retention of businesses and jobs or permanently affordable housing opportunities in the county. Managed by the Chelan County Economic Services department, the CPIF has awarded $3.7 million since 2021.

“The CPIF program has allowed us to infuse nearly $4 million into our local economy in the last four years,” Commissioner Kevin Overbay said. “The impacts of those monies will spur growth in not only new businesses and jobs but also home ownership. CPIF dollars really have the capacity to impact our community in a broad and positive way.”

The projects awarded 2024 CPIF grant dollars are:

  • Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority, $125,000: CDRPA plans to conduct a feasibility study for acquiring a key underutilized property in Manson. The goal is to develop a joint facility with Link Transit. The vision includes allocating part of the property for Link Transit to use as a bus turnaround area featuring a charging station and restrooms. CDRPA intends to utilize the remaining property to construct a small business incubator building.
  • Chelan County, $75,000: The Heartwood Biomass Market Assessment will assess the feasibility of establishing a biomass utilization campus in partnership with Heartwood Biomass of Wallowa, Ore. This phase of the project is focused on completing a Market Assessment Report to evaluate the potential product lines and markets for those products in proximity to Chelan County.
  • City of Chelan, $300,000: To unlock development and key economic opportunities, the city of Chelan must increase its water system capacity. To accomplish this, the city will make needed improvements to the Washington Street Booster Pump Station to increase capacity for both incorporated and unincorporated land in east Chelan.
  • City of Wenatchee, $400,000: The city of Wenatchee is upgrading existing utilities on Wenatchee Avenue, between Orondo Avenue and Kittitas Street, to accommodate development occurring in this area.
  • Common Ground Housing Trust, $282,000: Funding will support the completion of eight cottage homes in Wenatchee. The funding will be used to support final permitting, electrical connection, framing materials, procurement and construction costs. The Crail Cottages will be sold to households with income between 65 percent and 80 percent of the Wenatchee Valley’s area median income.

The grant project is funded by existing revenues from the sales-and-use tax for public facilities in rural counties, also called the Rural Counties Tax. The CPIF Advisory Committee reviewed and scored all applications and submitted its recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners for final decision making.

Photo by Common Ground Community Housing Trust: A crew installs upgraded sewer connections to the Crail Cottages, an affordable housing project in Wenatchee.