Moses Lake manager refutes business myth

MOSES LAKE — For the record, the City of Moses Lake has never had any contact or conversation with Costco, Fred Meyer, Target or Albertsons or anyone representing them. 

The city has had some contact with someone representing Applebee’s and Wendy’s.

In the case of Wendy’s, the company could not work out its differences with the property owner where Wendy’s wanted to locate and that was the last the city heard from them.

In the case of Applebee’s, the company uses a sign package with a lot of neon and Applebee’s became concerned that the residential property owners near the location they picked for a restaurant would object to the signage, which would cause them trouble in siting the restaurant. That is the last the city heard from Applebee’s.

Regarding Target and old the Kmart building, as I said the city has not had contact or a conversation with Target, therefore the city has made no suggestion to Target to remodel the old Kmart building to suit its needs. I have heard this suggestion, however, from some of the city’s citizens and have explained that if Target was interested in locating in Moses Lake, they would build their own building, using their tried and true building plan and a footprint on a site they found acceptable.  Target does not remodel other buildings for its use, just as Home Depot or Lowe’s does not. They all build new. 

By the way, Target has never purchased any property in Moses Lake.

The city council, city manager and city staff welcomes and encourages commercial, retail and industrial development and works with those companies that are interested in locating in Moses Lake in anyway we can. We have cooperated with national companies and their representatives and builders such as Home Depot, Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Suites, Walgreens and Lowe’s to name a few. 

The city is interested in retail, commercial and industrial development for the jobs they create and the sales and property taxes the city receives. It is those taxes that pay for public safety, streets and parks. So why would the city council, city manager or city staff discourage such development?  It would not make sense.

The city’s platting and development regulations are less stringent and less demanding than those in other areas of the state according to some of those national companies who have located in Moses Lake. Those companies have on occasion complimented the city and its staff for the cooperation they have received.

Saying big box stores have gone elsewhere or that companies have not located in Moses Lake because the city council or city manager has demanded too much of them or were too unreasonable, are simply not true. This is nothing more than rumor or urban legend. As was said, the city has not had any contact or conversation with the national retailers.

It comes down to this, the retailers will locate here when they think they can make a profit. They use their own formulas to determine this. Part of the formula includes population, demographics and income levels. So to encourage new retail to locate in the city, the population in the city and surrounding area will have to increase and income levels will have to rise. That means industries increasing their employment levels with higher wage paying jobs and getting new industrial and commercial concerns locating in Moses Lake with these same type of higher wage paying jobs.

The city is part of that effort, working constantly with the Grant County Economic Development District in that regard.

Also keep in mind that with the economy the way it is, most retailers are not expanding until the economy starts growing again. Profits are down and companies are conserving their cash, if they have any. Additionally, commercial borrowing is limited so companies don’t have the means to build. But in time this should pass.

If anyone would like to talk about this further please call my office or get a hold of a city councilmember at 509-766-9201.