CDRPA Recognized for Job Creation, Microsoft Data Center Projects

The Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority (CDRPA) has been hailed for its job-creating aptitude.

The Washington Public Ports Association (WPPA) comprises 69 ports in 33 counties. One of those member ports is the CDRPA.

Having willed a major cash cow - the Microsoft Data Center projects - into fruition, the CDRPA is being recognized as an Outstanding Job Creator by the WPPA.

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Data centers enable Microsoft's cloud infrastructure to run smoothly. Each data center in this neck of the woods - one in Chelan County, the other in Douglas County - is poised to house teeming reservoirs of human capital.

"We're hoping that they'll be six buildings in each county - a total of 12 buildings," says Jim Kuntz. "We're projecting about 75 jobs per building." That equates to 450 jobs in Chelan County alone.

Kuntz is CEO of the Regional Port. He is the elder brother of three-term Wenatchee Mayor Frank Kuntz.

This was a very ambitious enterprise and it required unstinting cooperation between disparate parties. That wasn't a problem, says Kuntz.

"The Chelan County Commissioners have been very supportive. We've also worked very closely with the Malaga Water District in doing coordination for utilities."

"On the Douglas County side of things, obviously the commissioners have been supportive. Both the East Wenatchee Water District and the Douglas County Sewer District have been instrumental in getting utilities extended. It takes lots of partners all working together to make these exciting economic developments happen."

The economic impact is indeed momentous. Both Chelan and Douglas counties can apparently expect multi-billion dollar windfalls from the Microsoft project.