Business View Civil & Municipal l November 2022

27 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 city hall in October 2022 which can help his team more efficiently support the needs of its residents. “We have seen an increase in the number of housing units we offer,” Smith says. He also adds that new investments made in the school district have helped to attract new residents. The South Hermiston Industrial Park broke ground in March 2022 to address the need for new industrial opportunities for employers. Many of the current sites have been secured with build-outs starting as of late 2022. The city was able to pay for roughly half of the development’s $2 million expansion and infrastructure costs through a grant and with the help of the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce Smith says. The creation of the South Hermiston Industrial Park was important because no other sites provided road access along with full water, sewer, and electric hookups, the city manager added. The land is available for interested employers in 5 to 10-acre lots. Smith says, “It’s exciting because we are already seeing new businesses move in. That area provides plenty of opportunities for future growth that is attractive to new businesses.” Hermiston recently completed the creation of its 2040 vision plan which includes actively seeking community input. One of the common examples of resident feedback received was a desire for more retail. Smith says the city is on the cusp of having a population and employment base that is more attractive for large regional and national retail brands. The city created an urban renewal district, which in Oregon allows for a tax increment financing discount. Hermiston can freeze the value of its urban properties and use property tax revenue to reinvest in the city’s downtown development. In addition to attracting and working with local and larger retailers, Hermiston has revamped multiple downtown parking lots and created HERMI STON, OR Byron Smith, City Manager