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Port of Whitman Awarded $1M Innovation Zone GrantGovernor Christine Gregoire announced yesterday that the Port of Whitman Pullman Industrial Park has been designated as a State Innovation Partnership Zone. That designation brings with it $1 million in grant funds to expand and market the facility, as well as developing a Center of Excellence devoted to integrating energy efficient technologies associated with the datacenter market. “Washington is home to some of the greatest innovations in the world and I am excited to support the continued success of our state’s world-class companies,” the Governor said. “We’ve seen what can happen when we bring together research, training and commerce, put them in a beaker and shake – Innovation Partnership Zones will be powerful economic engines to support our regional economies.” To apply for the designation of Innovation Partnership Zones, areas had to have a cluster of private businesses, research availability, and a training plan to feed the expected growth. The Port proposal includes three primary focuses for the Pullman site. Expansion of the park and its infrastructure is necessary to grow any more businesses, according to Port staff. “We currently have about 17 acres left in the park and we need to hold that for the expansion of existing businesses,” said Debbie Snell, Property Manager for the Port. Another (41 acre) parcel of land has been identified as an expansion site and negotiations are already underway for purchase of that land. That property is not contiguous, due to Washington State Department of Transportation easements for the North-South Byway, but is located directly on the other side of the easement property. The Port recently funded a feasibility study on the establishment of a non-profit, public/private partnership that will advocate for and develop energy efficient technologies associated with the datacenter market. This national Center of Excellence will be devoted to accelerating broad adoption of technologies and practices for integrating energy efficient IT infrastructure into sustainable enterprise and datacenter building and landscape architecture. Dr. Don Tilton, founder of Isothermal Research Systems, now Spraycool, is leading the charge to found this Center of Excellence called the Green IT Alliance (GITA). GITA will host its headquarters in the Port of Whitman Pullman Industrial Park and is planning for satellite locations in Spokane and the Tri-cities. Datacenters currently use an extraordinary amount of energy and GITA will focus on research projects to curb that usage. Plans are in the works for incorporating techniques such as, green building architectures, cooling ponds, wind, solar and other green energy concepts. The third strategy regarding the IPZ designation will be marketing the zone utilizing its energy efficient focus. That strategy will include signage and publications pointed at start up or recruiting of like-minded companies. In addition, the research infrastructure can be used to educate the general public and business owners nationwide. The Port partnered on the project with the Washington State University, the Palouse Economic Development Council and the City of Pullman locally, and with many other private and public partners regionally. |
Current AgendaAgenda(pdf)Commission MinutesStrategic Plan 04-17-2008 04-03-2008 03-20-2008 Archived Minutes
Prime commercial building available for sale or lease in Pullman More Info |
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Port of Whitman County, 302 N. Mill Street, Colfax WA 99111 | ||
