Utilities pave the way for North Richland Research District
A worker uses a vacuum excavator truck to "pothole" for existing utilities before bringing in a backhoe to dig up the area. Enlarged View
Watts Construction of Kennewick has broken ground on a $5 million utility project extending water, power and sewer services to the Horn Rapids triangle of the North Richland Research District.
The utilities will support Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's new Capability Replacement Laboratory as well as the expansion of private technology research within the North Richland Research District. The City of Richland will manage the state-funded utilities project and will work together with PNNL to coordinate all aspects of the project.
The research district comprises about 1,600 acres and is home to more than 90 businesses and organizations including PNNL, various federal and state agencies and Washington State University Tri-Cities. The district contains more than 5,000 workers in 3.4 million square feet of lab and office space.
Part of the utilities placement will run along the west side of Q street; the area is currently marked by neon pink flags. "We can anticipate road closures as the city brings in this much needed infrastructure, but will attempt to minimize the impacts to staff," said Greg Herman who manages the project for PNNL. "We will advise staff of any changes through internal PNNL venues."
Bringing utilities to the area will be one way to make the research district more attractive to potential tenants and support PNNL's campus development. The new utility corridor is the future location for PNNL's 200,000-square-foot Physical Sciences Facility, a laboratory that will house staff, equipment and research capabilities soon to be displaced because of accelerated cleanup at Hanford's 300 Area. The PSF is a $224-million federally-funded research laboratory. It consists of three separate modules-one for chemical processing, one for materials science and technology, and another for ultratrace and radiation detection.
PNNL's Jim McClusky, who is the project director of the PSF and other proposed new facilities, says the utilities are the first leg of PNNL's construction efforts.
"This new utility corridor is a win-win for the City of Richland and PNNL," McClusky said. "The added infrastructure provides PNNL the opportunity to further modernize its campus and replace much needed research capabilities. Working with the city to initiate the utility corridor, is also the first step in developing the research district."
Watts Construction plans to complete the PNNL portion of the utilities project by mid-October. PNNL is expected to break ground on the PSF later this summer.