It's no secret, Pasco is the fastest growing city in the Tri-Cities area and one of the fastest-growing in the Pacific Northwest. The city is exploding, growing by over 20,000 residents since 2011, with a total population of just over 80,000, and that number is expected to snowball to 121,000 over the next 15 or so years.

Pasco's weather, recreation, family values, cost of living, layout, and affordability make it an extremely attractive area to do business. So much so, large, well-known companies are moving and building operations to Pasco.

Amazon announced earlier this year it will be building two huge distribution warehouses in Pasco, dubbed "Project Pearl", and "Project Oyster". In 2017, Auto Zone invested $50-million dollars into their distribution center in Pasco, bringing hundreds of jobs with it. Other companies building in Pasco include Darigold, which will build its largest milk-drying plant next year. Local Bounti, a company that grows produce in high-tech greenhouses will build 32 of the greenhouses on 28 acres costing over $40-million. Reser's Fine Foods is rebuilding its 250,000 square foot processing center, and Costco is also building a new location.

But wait, there's more! The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation has purchased 194 acres in North Pasco that will eventually become home to a huge resort and casino which they claim will rival any casino in the Pacific Northwest.

As you can imagine, all the new business will bring jobs and new residents. To say Pasco is thriving is an understatement. Now, let's hope the city includes plans to alleviate the traffic in the areas that will be most impacted.

To learn more about the Pasco Economic Development Plan, watch the short video below with Pasco's Economic Development Manager, Mike Gonzalez. It's all very exciting news - #PascoProud

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