Peshastin Mill Site
The Peshastin Mill Property fronts the Wenatchee River off Highway 2 in Chelan County and can be reached via Mill Road in the small town of Peshastin. The site is five miles from the Bavarian Village of Leavenworth and 20 miles west of Wenatchee Metropolitan Area.
In 2003 the Port of Chelan County purchased the former W-I Forest Products lumber mill. Before that, and dating back to the early 1900s, it was home to the Peshastin Lumber & Box Co. The Port undertook steps to increase the property's marketability and attractiveness, including a limited clean-up of the site and other site improvements. The Port also provided funding to establish a municipal water district to serve the site, as well as the larger Peshastin community, and partnered financially to reconstruct an intersection to facilitate safer travel to the site and surrounding properties.
In 2014, the Port agreed to a sale option with the local nonprofit group Complete the Loop Coalition for 14 acres along the Wenatchee River waterfront. In 2015, the Coalition reached an agreement with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to oversee the 14 acres along the river if the Coalition can raise funds and buy that section from the Port. Consistent Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions were placed on the 14 acres, that will maintain non-motorized public access and be available to create a trail near the river. For more information on the Complete the Loop Coalition’s efforts, go to http://www.savepeshastinmillwaterfront.org/.
In 2006, the Port decided to declare the property surplus to its needs and offer it for sale. One developer had the entire property under contract to be developed as a mixed-use technology park with apartments — a place where people could both live and work — but shelved those plans when the Great Recession hit the country. In 2017, the property, excluding the 14 acres purchased by the Complete the Loop Coalition, was sold.
Permitted uses on the land today under its Campus Industrial zoning include but are not limited to offices (including technology), service- and professional-businesses, and light-industrial. A limited amount of residential housing is allowed.
CONTACT INFO
Ron Cridlebaugh – Director of Economic & Business Development
Craig Larsen – Business Development Manager
Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority
509.884.4700
PROPERTY OVERVIEW
Address: Mill Road, Peshastin
Size: 49.9 acres
Topography: Graded and level in spots, with slight elevation gain from the river bank to the north end of the property.
Within an Urban Growth Area: No
Zoning: Campus industrial (C-I), Chelan County
Utilities and Services: Water, sewer, telephone, Internet, electricity
Riverfront Public Access: 14 acres
Roads: The property is reached via Mill Road in Peshastin. Highway 2, which travels between Seattle and Wenatchee and beyond, is a quarter-mile away. Interstate-90, via Blewett Pass, is 41 miles away.
Air: The regional Wenatchee Airport, with connecting service to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, is 26 miles away.
Rail: Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks are located adjacent to the property. Amtrak passenger trains stop at the Leavenworth Station, 3.5 miles from the Peshastin Mill Property.
Public Transit: Link stops in Peshastin and serves all cities in Chelan and Douglas counties.
MARKET
The Peshastin Mill Property is in the small town of Peshastin (population of 1,508 in 2010). The banks of the Wenatchee River front the property on the south. Highway 2 travels by on the other side or the river.
The community of Peshastin has long been home to numerous tree fruit orchards and is well known for its production of high-quality pears. In recent years, it has seen some of that acreage converted to grapes, with several estate wineries opening and prospering. The community's businesses include fruit warehouses, fruit stands, a few retail and food businesses, and a hotel.
The famous Bavarian Village in Leavenworth is five miles away. Leavenworth (population of 1,965) is a major tourist draw, not only because of its German-theme town but also its recreational pursuits, including mountain biking, skiing, trail running and hiking. The Upper Wenatchee Valley (population of approximately 12,000 in 2010) includes Peshastin, Dryden, Leavenworth, Chumstick, Plain, Coles Corner and Lake Wenatchee.
The City of Wenatchee (population of 33,070 in 2014) is 20 miles away to the east. Wenatchee is part of the overall Wenatchee Metropolitan Area (population of 110,884 in2010), which is comprised of not only Wenatchee but also the City of East Wenatchee and the towns of Rock Island and Malaga, and surrounding unincorporated areas. The main economic sectors in Wenatchee and the Wenatchee Valley include agriculture, tourism, medical and professional services, utilities, and government services. Because of its geographic attributes along the east slopes of the Cascade Mountains, the valley has long been known for its recreational attributes.
The Columbia River flows through the Wenatchee area, bisecting the cities of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee, as well as Chelan and Douglas counties.
The state's largest city, Seattle, is located 130 miles to the west of Peshastin. Another large city, Spokane, is 170 miles to the east. Yakima is 135 miles to the south. Portland, Ore., is 290 miles to the southwest.
