The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDF&W) is pursuing plans to construct a new regional headquarters at the Port of Ridgefield.
Last month, the state agency notified the port that it had qualified as the “apparent successful proposer” for the construction and leasing of a new, 31,000-square-foot WDF&W regional headquarters. The notice allows the agency to enter into negotiations with the port without providing a formal commitment.
The estimated $8 million facility would be located on port-owned property at South 11th St. in Ridgefield. In addition to the 31,000-square-foot facility, plans call for 8,000 square feet of covered storage.
“If this all comes to fruition, as we believe it will, this will be a very big deal for Ridgefield,” said Port of Ridgefield CEO Brent Grening in a press release. “Our staff and advisory team members worked diligently to craft a thoughtful, competitive response to DES’s Request for Proposal. We are thrilled the Port of Ridgefield was chosen and we look forward to welcoming WDF&W to our community.
WDF&W’s Region 5 headquarters houses approximately 100 employees and serves six different counties in Southwest Washington. It is currently located in Vancouver at 2108 Grand Blvd., but the agency has been looking to relocate for some time.
Assuming negotiations between the port and the state agencies involved go as planned, building design, site analysis and permitting will begin in February 2016. Construction is expected to be completed in early 2017.
