Pasco Platform Newsletter

Economic Development Newsletter

Building a Downtown for All

For Pasco’s Planning Manger Jacob Gonzalez, 2023 got off to a great start with the City Council’s approval of Pasco’s first Downtown Master Plan. The City Council officially approved the plan in January. The Downtown Master Plan is a guide for downtown’s future. It touches on everything from code amendments, to boundary expansions and residential growth. Gonzalez says it was team effort to get to this point.

“The Pasco City Council was instrumental in the development of the Downtown Pasco Master Plan. Their formal adoption solidifies a framework and a legitimate set of strategies that community members, downtown advocates, staff, and city leaders to use as a guide for success," said Gonzalez.

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Pasco Piers: H&R Trucking Elite

Economic Development Manager Mike Gonzalez hosts another Pasco Piers with a look at H&R Trucking Elite.

Video: H&R Trucking Elite

Pasco Piers Video Library

Upcoming City Meetings:

February 2nd, 2023

Code Enforcement Meeting

February 6th, 2023

Regular City Council Meeting

February 13th, 2023

City Council Workshop

February 16th, 2023

Planning Commission Meeting

February 21st, 2023

Public Facilities District Board Meeting
Regular City Council Meeting

February 27th, 2023

City Council Workshop

February 28th, 2023

Arts & Culture Commission Meeting

Agendas, Minutes & Video

Sales Tax Change in Pasco

Voters approved a 0.2% sales tax increase in Pasco to pay for a new aquatic facility. Businesses must collect the appropriate new rate of sales tax for retail sales and services provided within the City of Pasco (1104). Persons or businesses within the City of Pasco will be subject to the new tax rate of use tax on items purchased for their personal or business use if sales tax has not been paid.

Sales Tax Rates

Aquatic Center & PFD Update

The new sales tax increase is expected to raise about $40 million for the new aquatic center. As proposed, the facility will be built on about 4.6 acres with an indoor leisure pool, outdoor activity pool, a party room, classroom, outdoor concessions and locker rooms.

Learn More

Projects in 2023

Lewis Street Overpass

State CERB invests in Pasco

Bid Awarded for Broadmoor Improvements

Work for Us!

Team Effort: Dairgold in Pasco

For Port of Pasco Economic Development Director Stephen McFadden, helping recruit Darigold to Pasco feels like hitting a game winning homerun in the World Series. “Darigold represents the largest private investment project in the history of the Port of Pasco. We were thrilled!” said McFadden.

The Port of Pasco is the City’s prime economic development partner in Franklin County. McFadden was instrumental in recruiting one of the largest ever industrial projects in Pasco’s history. Darigold broke ground in late 2022 on their massive milk processing plant. McFadden worked closely with The Port of Pasco’s Executive Director Randy Hayden to make sure City of Pasco, state and federal officials were involved in the recruitment process. McFadden says the teamwork to make the project happen was incredible.

“The coordination and collaboration. Every local agency and utility helped the Port to win this project. Today the Port leads development team meetings monthly with as many as 40 people involved,” said McFadden.

Darigold hosted a commemorative groundbreaking ceremony in September of 2022. The 600-million-dollar facility is slated to open in 2024 and will process nearly 8-million pounds of milk per day when fully operational from more than 100 dairy farms in the surrounding communities.

“The Pasco project represents our third major capital investment in as many years. This is the largest investment in our co-op’s 104 history and a significant step in an ongoing strategy to expand and modernize Darigold,” said Joe Coote, the co-op’s chief executive officer, in a press release.

McFadden says the State of Washington was instrumental is providing funding.

“This project was supported by local legislators. The Port received $7.5 million to construct public utilities and infrastructure,” he said.

McFadden says things are busy at the site in Northeast Pasco.

“Groundbreaking was September 8, 2022. Two years after the site selection process first began. Mass excavation and grading will be finished in February and construction to start soon after that,” said McFadden.

The Darigold project will create 200+ jobs and the third-party cold storage facility will create about 150 jobs.

City of Pasco | Website