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Port applies for IPZ status
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CopyThe Quincy Port District has submitted an application for the city to become an Innovation Partnership Zone, a designation the port hopes will benefit its goals of attracting more high-technology infrastructure to the area.
The application was due Aug. 31 to the state board of Commercial Trade and Economic Development.
"It's unbelievable the letters of support we've got," port president Curt Morris said at the port commissioner's meeting Wednesday, Aug. 26. "Microsoft, Intuit, Grant County Fire District No. 3, Big Bend Community College, Washington State University, Tri-City Industrial Development Council, the Tri-Cities IPZ, Aquada and the city of Quincy (have all given their support). Our goal is to get the designation. Now we'll see what happens."
If the port and city were to be awarded the designation, they would be allowed to solicit various sources for funds that would go toward specified projects, Morris said.
Currently, there are 11 such zones in the state: The Waterfront Innovation Zone, Port of Bellingham; Grays Harbor Sustainable Industries Innovation Partnership Zone, Port of Grays Harbor; Pullman Innovation Partnership Zone, Port of Whitman County; Spokane University District Innovation District Partnership Zone, Greater Spokane Incorporated; Walla Walla Valley Innovation Partnership Zone, City of Walla Walla; Everett Aerospace Convergence Zone, Snohomish County; North Olympia Peninsula Innovation Partnership Zone, Sequim; Bothell Biomedical Manufacturing Corridor, City of Bothell; Discovery Corridor Innovation Zone/Steinmueller Innovation Park, Vancouver; South Lake Union Life Science Innovation Partnership Zone, Seattle; and Tri-Cit-ies Innovation Zone, Port of Benton.
The port hired Laurie Simons of Ombrella Consulting to research whether it would be beneficial for the port to apply. About a month ago, Simons and the port began looking into the possibility of applying to be a "sister zone" with an existing zone, and last month, Morris took a tour of the Pullman facilities and talked to zone leaders and concluded that the Pullman zone has similar goals as Quincy would have as an IPZ.
When the port first began investigating the possibility of applying several months ago, Morris laid out his vision of what Quincy could possibly become with the added benefits from an IPZ designation.
He said the funds that the port and city could possibly acquire as a result of an IPZ designation could help finance some of the advancements he is envisioning, mentioning the construction of an incubator building and the implementation of advanced forms of video conferencing as just a few examples.
Copyright 2009 The Quincy Valley Post-Register, Quincy, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.
© 2009 The Quincy Valley Post-Register Quincy, California. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.
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