Cashmere Mill District
The 32.5-acre Cashmere Mill Property — is located on the west end of the City of Cashmere. This property has access to all major utilities and services, including electricity, telephone, Internet, water, and sanitary sewer. The site also is within the city's Urban Growth Area boundary. Construction of Buildings A & B were complete in Summer 2019 with two anchor tenants already secured: Hurst Construction and Blue Spirits Distillery.
Sunset Highway, which fronts the property, was widened and improved in 2013. Highway 2/97, which connects to Seattle and Spokane, is located a half-mile away.
The Cashmere Mill Property was used primarily for lumber milling from the 1940s until late 1970s. Various commercial and light industrial businesses occupied the property in the 1980s and 1990s.
In line with its mission, the Port of Chelan County acquired the land in 2008 and has since undertaken a $6.6 million cleanup and road improvement project to prepare the site for redevelopment. The Port work has included removing or reusing old wood waste, removing contaminated soil, and grading the site. Much of the work was paid for through the Department of Ecology. The property is now ready for development. Zoning allows for a mix of industrial and light-industrial and light-commercial uses.
City of Cashmere officials and community leaders consider the Cashmere Mill Property important to the community's long-term success. The supply of ready-to-use sites along the Highway 2/97 corridor in the valley is limited.
CURRENT AVAILABLE SPACE:
None
CONTACT INFO
Stacie de Mestre – Director of Economic Development & Capital Projects
Brooke Lammert – Economic Development Specialist
Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority
509.884.4700
PROPERTY OVERVIEW
Address: 5455 Sunset Highway, Cashmere
Size: 32.5 acres (21 flat develop-able acres)
Topography: Level and graded with street frontages
Within an Urban Growth Area: Yes
Zoning: Warehouse Industrial and Commercial/Light Industrial, City of Cashmere
Utilities and Services: Water, sewer, telephone, Internet, electricity
Roads: The property is on Sunset Highway. Mill Road runs through the site as well. Highway 2/97 is about a half-mile away. Interstate-90, via Blewett Pass, is 45 miles away.
Air: The regional Wenatchee Airport, with connecting service to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, is 15 miles away.
Rail Access: Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks run near the property but there is no siding. Amtrak passenger trains stop at the Leavenworth Train Station and at Columbia Station (Wenatchee).
Public Transit: Link stops in Cashmere and serves all cities in Chelan and Douglas counties.
MARKET
The Cashmere Mill Property is located in Chelan County and within the City of Cashmere (population of 3,060 in 2010) and the community's Urban Growth Area Boundary. The community is located along the banks of the Wenatchee River and is bordered by Highway 2/97.
Cashmere lies amid a large historic tree fruit growing area (apples and pears). In recent years, it has seen some of that acreage converted to grapes, with several wineries opening and prospering. The city's commercial district includes various retail, food, service and professional businesses, including the headquarters of fruit confectioners Aplets & Cotlets. Cashmere is considered a bedroom community of the City of Wenatchee, located 10 miles to the southeast.
The City of Wenatchee (population of 33,070 in 2014) is part of the Wenatchee Metropolitan Area (population of 110,884 in 2010), 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 140 miles to the west of Cashmere. Another large city, Spokane, is 160 miles to the east. Yakima is 124 miles to the south. Portland, Ore., is 290 miles to the southwest.
PROPERTY HISTORY
The Cashmere Mill Property was used primarily for lumber milling from the 1940s until late 1970s. Various commercial and light industrial businesses occupied the property in the 1980s and 1990s, but in the 2000’s the site had little commercial activity. The property has been vacant since the Port of Chelan County purchased it in 2008 and began site redevelopment.
IMPROVEMENTS
When the Port of Chelan County purchased the site in 2008, this underutilized property was in need of clean-up and restoration. Lumber milling on the site from the 1940s through the 1970s had left behind a large amount of wood waste and small pockets of petroleum- and mercury-contaminated soil.
The Port undertook an aggressive $5 million redevelopment program over the next several years. Aided by state grants, including a $1.5 million grant from the state Department of Ecology, the Port had the wood waste removed and replaced with fill to support new construction. The project also removed paved asphalt sections, concrete slabs and footings. The two remaining buildings on site were treated for asbestos materials, and then demolished and the materials disposed offsite.
