Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce to sell building to city

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce is selling its office along South Pioneer Way.

“A lot of thought and research has gone into this decision over the course of many years,” wrote Chamber President Debbie Doran-Martinez in an email. “The space was in need of a major remodel to bring it up to ADA standards; however, we would still not have adequate parking, so we have opted to sell.”

Doran-Martinez said the city of Moses Lake has agreed to buy the building. She did not disclose the purchase price. The sale should close by the end of June, she added.

As to the chamber of commerce’s next home, Doran-Martinez said that chamber employees will continue to work remotely “as we have been doing since mid-March.”

“We will be looking to see if any buildings become available that would meet our needs in a commercial location,” she said.

At the beginning of 2020, the city of Moses Lake took over many of the welcome center functions previously handled by the chamber of commerce, with maps and visitor guides now available at the Museum and Art Center.

“The time that chamber staff used to spend on operating the visitor center will now shift to more advocacy for businesses and more workforce development work,” Doran-Martinez said.

According to the Grant County assessor’s website, the property has an assessed value of a little more than $289,000. As a non-profit, however, the chamber of commerce does not pay property tax.

According to the Grant County treasurer’s website, the chamber does pay assessments levied by the mosquito district, the noxious weed district and the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District, amounting to $394.82 in 2020.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at [email protected].