Quincy to extend water line

Construction begins this fall

QUINCY - Quincy will receive help with the $4.9 million bill for a project to extend a water main south of the city and double the capacity of the existing line.

The Grant County commissioners released a $70,000 Strategic Infrastructure Program grant and a $30,000 loan to pay for engineering services on the project.

The Strategic Infrastructure Program is funded by state sales tax revenue, which is set aside for economic development in rural areas. Grant County Economic Development Council administrates the grant application process and presents them to the county commissioners for approval.

The grant pays for planning the dig through the Columbia Basin Project's west irrigation canal. Along with the grant, the city also received a $4 million USDA rural development loan and $400,000 from the state's public works trust fund.

"It's logical to assume that there will be growth south of the city," Mayor Jim Hemberry said. "We would need to provide water facilities."

The project started when Entezar, a Bellevue-based development company, approached the city with plans to build a hotel, shopping mall, grocery store, movie theater, convention center and business park south of the city, according to the grant application.

City Administrator Tim Snead said there is no agreement between the city and Entezar.

"There's still discussion going on about development to the south," he said. "The city has no plans of extending (the water main) past the canal right now."

"(The committee) felt it was a good project for the community and the county commissioners agreed," said Terry Brewer, EDC executive director.

Work on the project will start once the canal empties in November.