Governor's report names Moses Lake as potential Boeing site

MOSES LAKE — For the second time this year, Moses Lake is listed in a report as a contender for a second Boeing 787 assembly site.

“The Business Case for Consolidating Boeing 787 Assembly in Washington,” was released this week by Gov. Chris Gregoire’s office.

Moses Lake was mentioned, as well as Everett, Charleston, S.C., Wichita, Kan., Kingston, N.C., San Antonio, Texas, and Long Beach, Calif.

In a section about Moses Lake, the report stated Port of Moses Lake land offers “access to five separate runways, with a main runway of 13,500 feet in length and 200 feet in width.”

The report examined areas such as an attractive business climate, low production risk, quality workforce and improving labor relations, stable government, providing infrastructure improvements, commitment to education, strong, broad-based support and best quality of life.

A report released earlier this year, done by Deloitte Consulting, also referenced Moses Lake as a contender for a second Boeing site. The governor’s report cites some information gleaned from the Deloitte Report.

Moses Lake was in the running for the original assembly site in 2003, but Everett was chosen instead.

Pat Boss, the Columbia Basin Railroad’s government affairs consultant, said railroad was a factor in the first decision.

The Columbia Basin Railroad operates a short line railroad in the Moses Lake area and is working to expand service to the Grant County International Airport.

“I think it was one of the key issues,” he said. “They were studying the idea of a railroad expansion six years ago, then five years ago, the Port of Moses Lake got some money to start some engineering.”

Since then, the port received $2 million to start expansion work on the $5 million project.

“Clearly, we’ve moved on this project,” Boss noted. “It’s key, we need more than $2 million, with Boeing and the aerospace industry. We feel Moses Lake should be a new area for aerospace.”

Brig Temple, the railroad’s president, said many transportation infrastructure items were being contemplated to support the Boeing facility during discussions in 2003 and 2004.

“In general, we’ve working on solving them,” he said Tuesday. “One of the big issues, is how do you move the enormous parts to a prospective facility at the Grant County International Airport,” Temple commented.

“What really generated all of the discussion, about putting (new) segments 1-5 (of the railroad) in, was Boeing. Boeing was concerned about the route, in particular, how would you move the fuselages, wing pieces and tail pieces, through the Port of Moses Lake, and through the city.”

Temple also remarked how state Route 17 between Ephrata and Moses Lake is being improved with its current widening from two lanes to four lanes.

The highway project is expected to be done in mid-October, according to the state Department of Transportation.

In July, Craig Baldwin, the Port of Moses Lake’s executive manager, said Boeing owns roughly 100 acres at the port. Boeing could potentially look at leasing other facilities from the port, he added

“But they own the land and the facility their hangar sits on right now,” Baldwin explained.

The port and the state continue to market to aeronautical companies, he said.

Baldwin also spoke of the port talking to other companies about locating to the area.

“There’s a lot of different aviation-type facilities you can bring into the picture,” he noted.

Baldwin added the other companies can either offset or work hand-in-hand with Boeing to keep operations going.

Terry Brewer, executive director of the Grant County Economic Development Council, worked to bring Boeing to Grant County in 2003.

“Everyone has lost focus on what we’ve had to offer,” Brewer said. “As the state is looking at ways to work with the Boeing Corporation and enhance their future in our state, it’s wise the governor, her team and legislators are looking statewide to put the best proposal forward.”

Brewer explained rail is probably the biggest enhancement since 2003.

“While we don’t have it done yet, we have funding coming,” Brewer commented. “So I think we can envision construction coming by the time it’s needed for aerospace. That was a big item, a necessary item. To be able to provide rail to the east side of the airport would be a big help.”

Brewer, who is also a Grant County PUD commissioner, spoke about a new substation being planned for the area.

This week, the utility awarded a $1.2 million contract to a Spokane Valley company to build a new electrical substation near the Titan Building on Patton Boulevard, which is close to the airport.

Additional power would be helpful to an aerospace manufacturing project, he noted.

“It would be a huge win for Boeing and the state of Washington if they made better use of Moses Lake,” said Kim Foster, of the ASPI Group, during an interview this summer with the Columbia Basin Herald.

The ASPI Group owns 700 acres of land at the Grant County International Airport.

“What I would want to enforce, is Grant County presents an opportunity that is much different that the Puget Sound environment is.”

The Washington Council on Aerospace was created earlier this year by the governor, to “ensure that Washington remains the leading location in the world in which airplanes are designed and built,” according to the governor’s office.

Port of Moses Lake Commissioner David Plate started attending the meetings with Rep. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, who is a member of the council.

He said Big Bend Community College President Bill Bonaudi joined them at a previous meeting, “so there’s some good crowds coming.”

“Now, all of the sudden, we’re starting to see this attention being given to Moses Lake,” he said on Tuesday. “There’s no reason why the 7E7 needs to be moved out of the state.”

But to make Moses Lake the primary site, “I think from a political standpoint, we have to show unity, show we’re working together and find ways to work with our friends from the west side. The reality is, we have to figure out a way to work together to keep them in the state.”

Warnick stated she looks “forward to providing input on creating a more sustainable work force and better business climate for employers … This along with the Port of Moses Lake and the Grant County International Airport facilities, are all positive assets the state can and should promote for future aerospace development.”