Port’s Odell property back on market

HOOD RIVER — On July 21, commissioners placed the Port of Hood River’s Lower Hanel Mill property back on the market after Amazon failed to meet a July 20 deadline to close on the property, located off Highway 35 outside Odell.

That doesn’t preclude an Amazon purchase, but it does allows the port to consider other offers. If there aren’t any takers within a 30-day period, the port would decide whether to extend the marketing effort.

Amazon wants to build a 49,000 square foot distribution warehouse, and the company had previously signed a $3.41 million agreement to buy the property, which commissioners chose not to extend following a lengthy appeal process at the county level. With bridge roll revenues now devoted entirely to bridge repair, maintenance and ultimate replacement, the port looks to a Lower Hanel Mill sale and other revenue sources for priorities like waterfront transportation upgrades.

The Hood River County Board of Commissioners is still scheduled to hear an appeal of the prospective Amazon acquisition Aug. 17, county planning staff confirmed last Thursday. While the original purchase and sale agreement has expired, port commissioners have not withdrawn their consent from Amazon’s land use application.

In other business from the port’s July 21 session, commissioners:

• Held a “draft goals and strategic planning” workshop with Moscow, Idaho-based Points Consulting for the port’s strategic business plan 10-year update, the latest of several updates. Mandated by state law, the business plan projects costs and revenues, business opportunities and other fiscal issues. The final document will be presented Sept.15.

• Approved a $6,376 change order for water line installation related to hangar construction at Ken Jernstedt Airfield.

• Declined to amend a resolution adopted this past February formalizing organizational structure of the port’s Airport Advisory Committee. An amendment would have required aviation background for committee members. Port commissioners did not support that, preferring to allow a broader range of experience.

• Authorized staff to develop an “exclusive negotiating agreement” with CMLK Development and GBD Architects toward possible redevelopment of the Marina East and Marina West parcels near the waterfront, but short of any binding commitment. The parcels constitute about 2.6 acres immediately east of Marina Green, with two structures leased to Oregon DMV and an acupuncture clinic. The Hood River-based developers submitted the sole response to the port’s “Request for Developer Interest” this spring. The port invites continuing public ideas for the future of Marina East and Marina West, since redevelopment is contingent upon bridge replacement. That won’t start until October 2027 at the earliest. Comments may be submitted through a dedicated port website, www.portofhoodriver.com/marina-east-and-west-request-for-developer-interest.