Blue Mt. Station Gets First Tenants

DAYTON -- Blue Moun­tain Station now has two committed tenants and one potential tenant hoping to move into Dayton's first organic and natural food processing facility, according to Port of Columbia officials.

The station, a project of the Port of Columbia, has the potential to be a revolution­ary new model for the entire artisan food industry, accord­ing to Gary White, the mar­keting consultant for the sta­tion.

It is a proposed organic and natural food processing facility and foodie attrac­tion. Groundbreaking for the facility took place more than one year ago, though there has been little activity yet as the port has waited to obtain funding and tenants.

The two committed ten­ants and one prospective ten­ant will help the start the first building at the site and could helped get the whole project moving forward, White said. The first building will house only three or four tenants, making these first three an important part of the station's progress, White said.

State funding secured in April has jump started the construction process of the first-planned building that would provide spaces for companies to develop and create their natural and or- ganic food products. The plot of land designated for the station is on the west end of Dayton on Highway 12.

The two committed ten- ants have already met with the architect, said Jennie Dickinson, the manager of the Port of Columbia. How- ever, no names are being released to the public and not all of the paperwork has been signed. White said the two tenants are currently working on lease rates, but they have already verbally committed to the project.

Dickinson had previously told the Times there was interest in Blue Mountain Station from small companies that manufacture cheese, wine, spirits, goat products, hot sauce and beer.

At this time, it is not known when construction on the first building at Blue Mountain Station will begin.

Project managers are now looking at state regulations for the proposed construc- tion. To meet federal Leader- ship in Energy and Environ- mental Design (LEED) requirements, Blue Mountain Station's construction will have to follow rules set to encourage environmentally friendly buildings.

Dickinson said the station team is hoping to achieve a silver level of the envi- ronmental design requirements for the first proposed building. Silver certification means the building is more environmentally conscious and surpasses basic certifica- tion.

The station's architect has experience with environ- ment-friendly construction and Dickinson is confident he can use his experience on this project.

"We want this to be a (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) cer- tified project, which means we're more environmentally responsible and we feel it is necessary," White said. "The whole theme of this development is environmen- tally responsible, local and friendly."

Dickinson said one hiccup that may hinder the "green" design requirements is the cost associated. Being more environmentally friendly means a more costly and time-consuming build- ing project.

"It is hard to achieve (a silver rating)," Dickinson said. "The rating is done by points and there are some areas where it would be impossible for us to earn the points."

Dickinson said one cat- egory asks the building be located on at least two bus lines. Unfortunately, the transportation system Dayton has doesn't count as a bus line as far as these requirements are concerned, she said.

Another issue is the distance of the facility from a hospital and fire station. Dayton's hospital and fire station are located too far apart for this achievement to be possible. Dickinson said these issues are typical for a rural community.

Because of these issues, Dickinson believes it will be challenging to earn a silver level building. White said when the foundation is poured and the plans are finished, the team will have a better idea of whether the building will surpass basic "green" standards.

Nevertheless, even if the building can't be as environ- mentally friendly as the port staff members desire, it will still be an anomaly because of its purpose.

White said the station will be a model for the future of what he called the artisan or specialty food industry. And he believes the station has the right team in place to make this dream a reality.

"When you get someone doing something so innova- tive and exciting it takes a lot of vision, a lot of courage and a lot of perseverance," White said. "And Jeannie has that vision."

Those interested in how the new facility will likely look can view the "Depot" style of building depicted in the project rendering on the Blue Mountain Station website at www.bluemoun- tainstation.com.