History of the Site

The City of Yakima was home to a major lumber mill from 1903 to 2006. The Cascade Lumber Company was established in 1903 to cut lumber floated down the Teanaway  River near Cle Elum and the Yakima River. Log floats were continued during the high spring waters until 1917, when a narrow gauge railroad was constructed to the site. Log ponds remained until the 1960’s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Photos are courtesy of the Yakima Valley Museum Collection

 

In 2006, the mill shut down, eliminating over 250 jobs. Additional chipping operations continued on-site until 2010, but with a much reduced labor force. Since 2010, several buildings have been demolished by the property owners and wood waste has been removed.

Infrastructure Funds from Washington State

The Yakima Revenue Development Area was created in 2008 when the City of Yakima received designation from Washington State to receive a $25 Million award of Local Infrastructure Financing Tool (LIFT) for the area in the vicinity of the former mill. The LIFT designation utilizes sales and use taxes as a method of payment for improvements in roads and infrastructure and are also used to match a limited amount of state contribution. With this designation, the City may bond for up to $50 Million in public improvements.  A total of nine projects were selected in the State of Washington, including Bellingham, Bothell, Everett, Federal Way, Mount Vernon, Puyallup, Vancouver, Yakima and Spokane County.

The Cascade Mill Project features the 225 acres of the former Boise-Cascade mill property for redevelopment of mixed use, commercial and light industrial purposes. The District also includes land on both sides of Interstate 82 to the Yakima River taking in the Greenway trail, other recreation opportunities and habitat riparian corridors.

 

Planning for Redevelopment

Conversion of the now vacant mill property for redevelopment requires significant new infrastructure and environmental clean-up. The City of Yakima is working closely with the current property owners, Yakima County, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and Federal Highways (FHWA) to develop plans for new public streets, utilities and freeway access to the development site.

Environmental Clean-up

The project site contains numerous mill buildings, concrete pads, and assorted mill-related improvements that need to be removed as well as wood waste, environmental waste and remnants of a former municipal landfill.   Geotechnical research and remediation plans are under development to determine the most effective and efficient methods to address site clean-up.

East-West Corridor

A new street corridor is planned to connect Terrace Heights to Yakima. The street, referred to as the “East-West Corridor” would connect to Terrace Heights Drive at Butterfield Road then continue north and cross the Yakima River in the vicinity of the BNSF railroad spur line, cross through the Cascade Mill site and connect to 1st Street using the current “H” Street. This new road and river crossing is important to relieve traffic congestion on Terrace Heights Drive, East Yakima Avenue and the I-82 & Yakima Avenue Interchange. Eventually, the street will continue to Fruitvale Boulevard. More information about this project is available from the Yakima County web site at the following location.

http://www.yakimaeastwestcorridor.com/

 

Freeway Access Improvements

Potential improved access from I-82 to the Cascade Mill site is under current coordination and review by WSDOT and FHWA. The City of Yakima and Yakima County are partners in effort to find acceptable modifications to the existing interchange system that would improve access to the Cascade Mill property from the freeway.

In addition, WSDOT has future plans to improve I-82 in this vicinity by installing a six-lane segment of I-82 from SR 12 to Nob Hill Boulevard. This improvement is in the early planning stages. More information about this I-82 improvements project is available from the WSDOT web site at the following location.

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I82/YakimaLanes/

 

Cascade Mill Parkway

Access to the project site will be greatly enhanced by a planned North-South street that would connect to Fair Avenue near 10th Street and intersect the East-West Corridor at “H” Street. The new street, referred to as the Cascade Mill Parkway will be a City of Yakima street, to be developed in a boulevard format with landscaping, sidewalks, street lighting and limited access. The street will also provide a utility corridor into the area. The alignment and details of this new street are still in development.

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