CWU kicks off Old Heat renovation project with well-attended event

Key stakeholders from Kittitas County, the City of Ellensburg, and Central Washington University came together April 29 at the Old Heat facility to launch a multi-year initiative aimed at creating new economic development opportunities for a wide range of businesses and industries throughout the region.

The event, called “Forging the Future: A Regional Collaboration for Innovation and Growth,” welcomed representatives from across central Washington and the state, including members of the Kittitas County Commission, Ellensburg City Council, the Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce, Yakima Valley College, the Ellensburg Downtown Association, and the CWU Board of Trustees.

Representatives from Senator Maria Cantwell and Senator Patty Murray’s offices were also in attendance to show their support for the project, which will repurpose the Old Heat building across the street from the CWU campus to support technology development and business expansion aimed at revitalizing the region’s economy.

The guest list for last week’s event included:

• Rick Evans, Sen. Cantwell’s office
• Toni Ball, Sen. Murray’s office
• Vicki Holleman-Perez, Rep. Dan Newhouse’s office
• Gladys Gillis, CWU Board of Trustees
• Kirk Esmond, on behalf of Director Nguyen from the Washington Department of Commerce
• Sue Kane, North Central Washington Tech Alliance
• Laura Osiadacz, Brett Wachsmith, and Cory Wright, Kittitas County Commissioners
• Kerrie Caveness, Yakima Valley College
• Amy McGuffin, Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce
• Heidi Behrends Cerniway, City of Ellensburg
• Anthony Peterson, OIC of Washington

CWU President Jim Wohlpart emphasized the regional collaboration as being a cornerstone of the project, and he believes the relationships that are currently being developed have the potential to reinvigorate local economies in Kittitas County and around the region.

“Everything we do here at Central is about collaboration and partnerships,” Wohlpart told the approximately 60 guests during his opening remarks. “We know that all boats rise when we work together as a community. So, the relationships that we've been building with the local community colleges and the K-12 school districts are really essential to the future of this region.”

Kittitas County Commissioner Cory Wright, a CWU alumnus and one of the project’s initial supporters, described the opportunity as being “transformational” for the region.

“I can't tell you how thrilled I am to not only be a part of it, but also see the opportunities that it's going to bring for our families, for our children, and really, for our greater central Washington region,” Wright said.

The phased modernization of the Old Heat facility — the historic steam plant that once warmed the CWU campus — will feature the development of a business incubator, plus research and development, and technological training spaces that will be used by entrepreneurs, businesses, and industries throughout central Washington.

The feasibility study for the renovation effort was made possible by a recent Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce.

Project consultant Joe Poire, CEO of JRP Integrated Solutions, explained what the partners hope will come out of the feasibility study.

“The feasibility study has components that will help us judge how to use Old Heat, what the adaptive heat reuse would be, and who could be possible partners in financing of the project," said Poire, who attended the project launch along with two of his colleagues. “We are just in the groundwork phase and starting to collect the data and the contacts for the community to work on the study itself.”

In the coming months, project partners hope to complete the feasibility study and finalize plans to repurpose the facility. Once the study is complete, the team will seek additional funding through state and federal grants, economic development grants, and private sector contributions. The planning phase is expected to take place over about two years.

CWU and Kittitas County officials believe the presence of a centralized technology transfer hub will help spur industry growth, attract new businesses, and create family-wage employment opportunities that will eventually revitalize the local economy.

Rob Ogburn, Executive Director of CWU’s Business and Community Services (BCS) department, said the project partners also plan to expand programming for additional research and development, plus incubator space, throughout the facility.

“The opportunity to bring together networks of technology subject matter experts with investors and entrepreneurs is critical for the region,” he said. “The ability of our communities to make choices for our own future growth and resilience depends on supporting innovation and acceleration of ideas, both for new industries and for our existing businesses and industries.”

Users of the upgraded Old Heat space will also have access to CWU’s subject matter experts for the purpose of developing and transferring technological innovations that can be applied in industries such as aviation, business, cybersecurity, agriculture, and manufacturing.