Spokane Certified Site Program

WEDA Conference 2012

About the Certified Site Program• Collaborative effort between City of Spokane and Greater Spokane Incorporated

(GSI)• An economic development tool.• Provides easy access to information about the “project ready” commercial and

industrial sites available within the City • Site Certification is the City’s promise to both the owners and buyers of

commercial and industrial property that their sites have appropriate infrastructure, such as water, wastewater and transportation, that land use and zoning is appropriate and that environmental issues have been identified up-front.

• Designed to allow seamless integration into regional “certified site” programs and national site selector networks.

Why have Certified Sites?

• Reducing Time: Companies need sites that are ready for development and can match the construction completion date with customer product delivery demands.

• Reducing Risk: simplifies the development process and greatly reduces risk by eliminating most of the unknowns

• Reducing Expense: Lowers development costs

• Promoting an “open for business” brand

Across the nation, regions compete against each other for the attention of industrial and manufacturing businesses making site selection decisions. Regions with an inventory of “certified sites” increase their competitive advantage by:

What is a “Certified Site”?“A site having met some or all of the criteria for development can be

referred to by a number of different terms including “certified” or “shovel-ready.” Source: UScertifiedsites.com

Project ready sites of 3 acres or larger Are physically developable Are technically developable Have all utilities in place(or approved

plans and funding to put them in place) Are compatible with surrounding uses

Spokane’s Certified Sites Criteria:

Benefits of Certified Sites• Faster time to market• Lower initial developer investment• Sites are immediately available • Site ownership is clear and price has been

set • Terms and conditions of sale or lease are

established • Have all utilities in place • Are physically developable • Transportation infrastructure is in place• Topography is suitable for construction• State recognition• Marketing support

Examples of Certified Site Information • Address and Site Location, Property Owner,

Parcel Number, Size • Sales or Lease/Price • Site map, Availability, Road access • Zoning & Surrounding land Use, Parcel

shape/Configuration, • Utility infrastructure to the property line:

Roads/Electric/Fiber/Wastewater/Sewer or septic, including line size/Public water, including line size

• Secondary infrastructure: Air/ Rail / Highway Access/ Permitting process

• Site Characteristics SEPA optional: wetlands/ ‐floodplain/endangered species/prior use/confirmed or suspected contamination/ archaeological site/historic or eligible properties

Site Certification Process

• Voluntary • Owner or representative submits completed application and checklist

with information about the site’s suitability for commercial and industrial uses.

• Review submitted information and determine whether site meets criteria and can be accepted into program.

• Upon acceptance the City will forward the information on to GSI to facilitate GSI’s recruitment role for marketing purposes.

• City will include the site on its current inventory of certified sites (including site profile information) which will be available for public view on its website.

• Certification may be renewed annually until site is developed or taken off market.

Lightbulb Moment• Why Certified Sites in Spokane• Late March 2011 – Project SWIFT• Prospect needs – 50 to 100 acres – 150 employees– Quick decision– Competition – Montana, Idaho, Washington

• Two shortlisted sites– Spokane and Kootenai Counties

Next Steps• May 4, 2011

– Site selector requests meeting with all responsible parties

– GSI convenes Washington State DOC, Spokane County, City of Spokane, Inland Power and Light, Avista Utilities, Time Warner Telecom, Spokane WDC, Worksource, ESD, etc.

– Meet with company representatives and property site selector and incentives site selector

– Review current infrastructure and connection costs

– Review permit process– Company needs to begin construction in July 2011– Start process with incentive planning

Followup

• Within 48 hours– Develop incentive matrix with full offerings from

utilities, property owner, city, county and state– Provide Spokane County permit proposal– Deliver complete package to incentives site selector

for consideration by company– Hurry up and wait!!!!

Decision

• June 2011– Prospect indicates that competition is very close– Discussion of how announcement will occur– Negotiations continue with both property owners

• June 23 – 10:00 AM – Spokane Celebrates• July – Groundbreaking!

Leverage the Process• Infrastructure installed and to the

site• Fast-track permitting• Convening of all responsible parties• Seamless delivery of information to

site selectors and company• Groundbreaking Summer 2011• Ribbon cutting Summer 2012• Parties agree to move forward with

regional certified site process

Questions?