8A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015
Great Ocean: Many of Chen’s
proposals focus on tourism
Continued from Page 1A
“I’ve been involved since
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gain,” Gerttula said, adding
Chen’s vision impressed him,
and he hopes Clatsop County
supports the project.
In coming weeks, he will
send options to the Port for
his company’s acquisition
of North Tongue Point, the
terms and how the Port might
be compensated for getting
out of its lease, which runs
through 2019 and costs the
Port more than $300,000 a
year.
North Tongue Point
The centerpiece of Chen’s
vision is a multi-functional,
privately owned internation-
al shipping port at North
Tongue Point. The website
describes the terminal as a
cold-chain distribution cen-
ter with seafood and fruit
storage and packing, receiv-
ing produce by barge from
upstream and shipping it out
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“I think the whole invest-
ment is about $220 million,”
Chen said. He added the
project could create between
1,500 and 2,000 direct, year-
round jobs.
The EB-5 program stip-
ulates that at least $500,000
be invested and 10 full-time
jobs created for each immi-
grant investor’s admission to
the United States as a Condi-
tional Permanent Resident.
Chen said his jobs are
year-round, which led to the
quick acceptance of his proj-
ect by USCIS. When produce
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Northwest, he said, it would be
shipped here from as far south
EDWARD STRATTON — The Daily Astorian
Screenshot from www.goastoria.us
On www.goastoria.us, Great Ocean Investment describes an Astoria Regional Airport
expanded into an international facility capable of taking planes as large as Boeing 747s.
as San Antonio, Chile, to be
packed in Astoria and loaded
onto ships bound for Asia.
A big sticking point,
Knight said, is how to in-
clude the longshore labor,
adding he hopes there are op-
portunities for everyone. The
union has jurisdiction over
moving most cargo on the
West Coast.
“We’re going to have
some very challenging dis-
cussions on land use, trans-
portation issues, community
infrastructure and then the
privatization of the shipping
port,” Knight said, noting the
recent issues shippers and
ports have been having with
longshore labor.
Chen said a private port
will speed its development
by avoiding the public bid-
ding process. Permitting such
a project could take years,
but he estimated it would
take about 18 months to build
out North Tongue Point.
Chen said he’s open to any-
one’s involvement, including
longshore labor.
Tourism
Many of Chen’s proposals
center on building Astoria’s
identity as a tourism destination.
Although sparse on de-
tails, the website describes an
expansion of the Port-owned
Astoria Regional Airport in
Warrenton to take planes
as large as Boeing 747s jet-
liners. The runways at the
airport, Chen and Knight
said, have to be extended to
at least 9,500 feet to handle
such large jetliners, as well
as being strengthened and el-
evated.
“After the project (is)
complete, the new Astoria
airport can not only bring
a good number of tourists,
but also accommodate inter-
national air transportation
and express services,” says
the website. “Cherries, king
crabs and other high value
commodities can be deliv-
ered to the world as far as
possible.”
The Astoria region annu-
ally serves as a stopover for
between 10 and 20 cruise
ships on their way north or
south. But Chen envisions
Astoria as a homeport for
cruise ships.
“Berth capacity will reach
5,000 passengers per time,
which will support larger
and more cruise lines,” his
website reads. “The project
is expected to bring 60,000
Chief Executive Director Capt. Huy Ying Chen, right, vis-
ited with wife and Managing Director Ping Wang to share
their vision for the Port of Astoria through their federally
approved EB-5 immigrant investor group, Great Ocean
Capital Holding LLC.
tourists per year, create $180
million and 2,200 working
opportunities to local mar-
ket.”
The website describes the
Astoria Tourism Center, a
30-acre project, which Chen
compared to San Francisco’s
Fisherman’s Wharf.
Immigrant investors
Since the EB-5 program
started in 1990, more than
600 regional centers have
been approved across the
U.S., including 10 in Oregon.
Williams/Dame & Associates
broke ground in Portland last
month on the Hyatt House
hotel, partially funded by
EB-5 investors. Williams/
Dame has also worked with
EB-5 investors to build a
Residence Inn in the Pearl
District.
Chen said that as of yes-
terday, he’s gathered between
56 and 58 investors so far for
the project, worth $26 to $29
million. In addition, he said,
he has about $20 million
from private investors not
seeking visas. Ultimately, he
said, the plan is to gather 196
EB-5 immigrant investors,
equaling about $98 million,
and use private investment to
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at North Tongue Point.
“We’re American, and
we want to contribute to
the country,” Chen said.
He is from Taiwan, but has
been an American citizen
for more than 30 years. He
hopes to have a fair hearing
in the county on his proposal.
Knight of the Port said he’s
committed to having a fully
public debate of the project.
Head Start: Many staff members are parents of former students
Continued from Page 1A
is now an education specialist
for the Neighborhood House
public housing community in
Seattle. Pat Eterno, the Sea-
side center director, moved
to Santa Rosa, Calif., to be an
associate Head Start director.
Replacing them are
new directors who are all
versed in childcare and
Head Start.
Lizz Bias, the director in
Warrenton, is a 2013 college
graduate, moving north from
California State University
in Chico, where she interned
at Early Head Start, work-
ing in preschools and doing
home visits. She moved to
Warrenton to be a teacher,
before becoming a center di-
rector.
Grace Robinson, the cen-
ter director in Astoria, didn’t
come up through Head Start,
but she’s worked in early
childhood education since
1992, most recently at Co-
ryell’s Crossing before it
closed.
“I think both have the same
overall goal of preparing our
… children for success in
school,” said Robinson. “We
just go about it differently.
With Head Start, there’s more
emphasis on the family, as
well.”
Coryell’s, which closed late
last year, is under renovation
Lizz
Bias
Grace
Robinson
to be a short- and long-term
respite center for people expe-
riencing mental health emer-
gencies.
Raedetta Castle, the di-
rector in Seaside, was once
a Head Start student herself.
She’s worked in the program
for 15 years now, most recent-
ly transferring to Seaside from
her directorship in Neah-Kah-
Nie.
Hiring from within isn’t
something new. Out of 108
staff members in Head Start,
45 are parents of former stu-
dents. Head Start provides on-
site training for parents, Castle
said, to see if they’re interested
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with the age group.
Challenges
Director of Child and Fam-
ily Development Programs
Joyce Ervin, which operates
Head Start in Clatsop, Colum-
bia and Tillamook counties,
said the agency had to cut
Raedetta
Castle
transportation to balance the
budget because it cost more
than $20,000 annually for the
Astoria center alone.
“We have had to drop a
couple of kids because of
transportation,” Visser said.
“It’s been a pretty low num-
ber, and parents have just done
their best to make it work.”
The effects are especially
felt in Warrenton, the largest
Head Start center in the coun-
ty with 72 children, at least
two-thirds of them traveling
from Astoria. It takes more
than an hour to get from Em-
erald Heights, a low-income
housing complex in Astoria,
to the Warrenton center, fam-
ily advocate Jereen Laferriere
said.
Transportation has had a
small effect on enrollment,
but Head Start is also seeing
decreased waiting lists for its
services among the region’s
low-income families. The pro-
gram limits the eligible income
JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian
Students in the Head Start class at the Robert Gray School move wood chips under a
playground during outdoor time Monday.
for varying family sizes to no
more than $23,850 for a family
of four to $15,730 for a house-
hold of two.
“I feel like we have a lot
of 2-year-olds turning 3, so
I think — I’m hoping — our
wait list will look different
next year,” Visser said.
A bigger issue than trans-
portation or demographics,
Laferriere said, is the housing
costs parents eligible for Head
Start face.
“It seems like apartment
costs are comparable to the
Portland area, but the job
market isn’t,” said Laferriere,
adding that she’s seen families
with young children moving
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where. The Warrenton center
has a whole classroom with
fewer people on the wait list
than it did last year.
Week of the
Young Child
Astoria’s 2nd Saturday Art-
walk falls one day before the
start of the national Week of
the Young Child celebration.
Head Start is planning a sec-
ond-annual exhibition of stu-
dent artwork.
“Our ultimate goal during
the Week of the Young Child
is that we have multiple gal-
leries that would sponsor ear-
ly childhood providers in the
area,” Visser said. “So maybe
Peace Learning Center, Lil’
Sprouts. Everyone would be
sponsored and have their art
featured.”
Seaside: $31 million convention center
would cost $220,000 a month for 30 years
Continued from Page 1A
said, was that “this town
doesn’t want any sales tax.”
The survey was conducted
“They thought it would
following two presentations harm their business, or people
Vandenberg made to the Sea- would travel outside (the city)
side Chamber of Commerce to shop,” he said.
and the Seaside Downtown
Other comments suggest-
Development
Association. ed the town does not have the
In those presentations, he infrastructure, such as parking
outlined the three options DQGURDGVWRKDQGOHDVLJQL¿-
IRU ¿QDQFLQJ WKH FRQYHQWLRQ cant increase in visitors in the
center expansion as well as a downtown area. According
$6 million, multi-level park- to the survey, the expansion
ing structure. The monthly would allow the convention
payment required to retire center to bring groups of 500
the $31 million debt would to 600 to town.
be $220,000 a month for 30
Some people indicated
years.
they simply like Seaside’s
The survey also included small-town feel and believe
a comment section, and Van- the expansion might harm
denberg said they received that, Vandenberg said.
numerous comments. The
The construction alone
biggest takeaway from the would take about a year, and
comments, which were not some of the chamber and as-
available yet, Vandenberg sociation members expressed
fear about how that might
negatively impact their busi-
nesses.
“They like things the way
they are,” Vandenberg said.
The Seaside Downtown
Development
Association
Board has already voted to
oppose a sales tax, according
to Tita Montero, SDDA exec-
utive director.
A link to the survey re-
sults was sent to both the
chamber and association.
The expansion committee
will discuss the results be-
fore bringing recommen-
dations to the Seaside Civ-
ic and Convention Center
Commission. Sometime in
the next few months, the
commission will bring a
final recommendation be-
fore Seaside City Council to
consider.
A proposed $25 million
expansion of the Seaside
Civic and Convention
Center could be paid for
by a local sales tax and an
increase in lodging taxes.
DON FRANK photo
Sip, Savor & UnWined
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ǁŝŶĞĐŽŵƉĞƟƟŽŶĞŶƚƌŝĞƐ
Saturday, March 7, 2015
at the Liberty Theater in downtown Astoria
$25 ticket includes:
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•
10 complimentary wine tastes
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Astoria Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce ͽ (503) 325-6311 ͽ oldoregon.com