The view down Second Street in downtown Hood River with the empty Lot 1 in the background. Public input offered this perspective as a reason to avoid building large structures for the Lot 1 construction.
Construction on the 9-acre plot of land by waterfront is gaining traction
HOOD RIVER — Oregon Sen. Chuck Thomsen has awarded the Port of Hood River $500,000 in discretionary funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Oregon House Bill 5006 towards a new hangar at the Ken Jernstedt Airfield and continued improvements on the Lot 1 space at the waterfront marina. Sen. Thomsen and Rep. Anna Williams were designated financial resources for which they could allocate throughout different programs in their respective districts. Senate representative of District 26, Thomsen opted to facilitate infrastructure developments in Hood River.
The view down Second Street in downtown Hood River with the empty Lot 1 in the background. Public input offered this perspective as a reason to avoid building large structures for the Lot 1 construction.
Noah Noteboom photo
Hoping to divide the money evenly, the port is still unsure how the final appropriations will be split. The goal at Ken Jernstedt Airfield is to install a new “light industrial hangar” with four new storage bays for planes. The new structure will include a mezzanine level above the parking spaces, where offices will be located. The port will build the hangar and subsequently lease it out to interested parties. Special Projects Manager Genevieve Scholl said that initial blueprints have already been approved by the Port of Hood River Commissioners, but final construction costs are still being identified.
Lot 1, which is the last undeveloped parcel of land by the waterfront, has been subject of public discussion for several years. Scholl emphasized that the public input has been seriously considered when planning for Lot 1. Among the top concerns were preserving the view down Second Street and increasing bicycle access to the waterfront. The proposed bike path will connect downtown Hood River to the waterfront making it easier to get back and forth via bicycle. Currently, if you want to ride your bike to the waterfront there is a path that winds under the I-84 interstate bridge and will eventually lead you to Nichols Basin, or cyclists can opt to navigate the narrow bike lane alongside to traffic down Second Street.
A Columbia Area Transit (CAT) Bus makes its way down to one of its two stops in the waterfront locale.
Noah Noteboom photo
According to a press release from the Port of Hood River, E. Anchor Way must be extended to appease the Oregon Department of Transportation’s rules on traffic flow. Although that project has proven difficult with the discovery of electrical wiring and other underground facilities. A new storm water drain is also on the list of additions. The port is considering relocating N. First Street further to the east. A recent increase in funding, thanks to ARPA, has opened doors for the Port of Hood River that may have not been possible previously. Scholl said the port will now try to complete both E. Anchor Way and the shifting of First Street projects at once instead of undergoing construction on one project then waiting to start the next.
The port of Hood River is striving to put a “transit hub” in Lot 1, an empty lot pictured above.
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