EDA grant aids Quincy water line

Hastings, Smith present $840,000 check to port commissioners

QUINCY — Seems like there's a celebration every day in Quincy these days.

On the heels of a groundbreaking ceremony for Microsoft Tuesday, several Quincy residents turned out Wednesday morning to watch as Port of Quincy commissioners were presented with a check for $840,000 from the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration, or EDA. Leonard Smith, EDA regional administrator, and Congressman Doc Hastings, R-4th District, presented the check.

Addressing the audience, Quincy port Commissioner Curt Morris explained that the grant will go toward a $1.2 million project to improve the water system in the northeast quadrant of town on port district industrial park property. With Columbia Colstor building a new warehouse facility and Yahoo! coming to town, Morris said, "the system just wasn't big enough to handle the expansion."

With the grant, the port will add about 11,000 feet of water line that will increase the fire flow protection capacity in the impacted area.

"That park is ready to go, with the installation of that water system, development will continue at a pretty rapid pace out there," Morris said, adding that all of the recent development in the Quincy community has brought a number of different industries to town that are spin-offs to Microsoft and Yahoo! "That water system is imperative to have out in the port industrial park."

Columbia Colstor president Don McGraw explained the grant pays for adequate installation of a fire system for water pressure, which will help his company with insurance costs and provide assistance if a fire should ever break out.

"We were able to put our building in, but I think for the industrial park to be further expanded, they needed more water pressure access," McGraw said, noting that the new facility should be open for business by the end of August and will hold a grand opening Sept. 15.

"One of the challenges that smaller communities have is getting the basic infrastructure in place, and the EDA is designed to help communities," Hastings explained. "Clearly the extension of this water main out there to the industrial area is very important. From there, of course, you'll have all the potential that goes with having infrastructure in place."

Hastings said the project has been long, and extended kudos to the port commissioners for their foresight in developing it, noting the hard work has been worth it.

Quincy port public affairs consultant Pat Boss said that area of Quincy is where most of the major industrial land is, so a lot of the future industrial growth in Quincy is going to happen east of the community.

"Upgrading this line will help to accommodate a lot of that industrial growth," Boss said. "Obviously Yahoo! and Colstor are two of the companies, but there's very likely going to be more companies looking in Quincy and we've got to be ready for that."

Boss said the line upgrade will also help with water pressure for residents and the businesses moving in to town to support those larger businesses moving into Quincy.

Boss and the rest of the port commissioners said discussions continue with Yahoo!

"It just allows the city and port to participate, to increase infrastructure just to keep our industrial parks going and puts us in a position that businesses are going to keep looking at us," port commissioner Brian Kuest said.