BUSINESS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2020
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7
IN THE WORKS
Hermiston skate park gets funding
H
ermiston’s proposed
budget for the 2020-
21 fi scal year, fea-
tured on today’s front page,
offered up a long list of new
projects that
the city will
be bringing
to Hermiston
in the coming
year.
One of
those that I’ve
Jade
been asked
about recently McDowell
NEWS EDITOR
is a skate park
for Hermis-
ton. I reported on plans for
that project back in Janu-
ary 2019, but those plans
have yet to come to fruition
after the city didn’t receive
an expected grant from state
lottery funds for recreation
last year.
City Manager Byron
Smith reports that this
spring the city applied again
and this time received the
grant for the fi rst phase of its
“teen adventure park.” The
city has set aside $240,000
in matching funds in its bud-
get for the upcoming year,
and has applied for addi-
tional grant dollars to add
more features in a second
phase.
The adventure park is
planned for 1.5 acres of
space on North First Street,
located across the street
from Hermiston’s police sta-
tion and fi re station. The
fi rst phase will include a
more traditional skate park,
while the second phase will
add features, such as a BMX
bicycle track, climbing fea-
tures and parkour area.
HH fi le photo
The city of Hermiston wants to build a skate park across
South First Street from the building housing Hermiston Police
Department and Umatilla County Fire District.
During his introduction
to the budget committee on
May 21, speaking of Herm-
iston’s overall economic
outlook, Smith shared news
of several upcoming pri-
vate projects in Hermiston
as well, which don’t directly
affect the city’s budget but
will boost property tax reve-
nue in the city.
While the Cimmaron Ter-
race subdivision off of The-
ater Lane has been reported
on in the past, Smith noted
that a different developer
purchased 20 lots adja-
cent to the development and
plans to start getting build-
ing permits to build homes
on those lots.
“Should see some houses
going up right there in that
area,” he said.
He also reminded the
budget committee that Ama-
zon Web Services continues
to build new developments
around Hermiston.
The company has several
sites around Umatilla and
Morrow counties, includ-
ing in Boardman, the Port
of Umatilla, south of Uma-
tilla and off Westland Road
in Hermiston. Last year,
the company negotiated a
tax break from Hermiston
and Umatilla County for a
planned development near
Feedville Road in Hermis-
ton. Under the deal, Amazon
will give the city, county
and other taxing districts
$40 million directly in lieu
of property taxes.
As a reminder, getting
news tips from readers is an
important part of making
this new In the Works col-
umn work, so if you know
of something new com-
ing to Hermiston, Umatilla,
Stanfi eld, Echo, Irrigon or
Boardman, send that infor-
mation my way at editor@
hermistonherald.com or
541-564-4536.
Maxwell Market to open in Hermiston
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
The Maxwell Market will
open for its summer season on
May 28.
Owner Mitch Myers said
Umatilla County entering
Phase 1 of reopening means
the market can offer features,
such as outdoor seating that
he was previously uncertain
would be allowed. The Max-
well Market being run as a
business on private property
allows them to operate using
the same safety measures peo-
ple are now seeing in stores
and restaurants.
“We’ve done our due dili-
gence,” he said.
Booths and tables will
be spaced 6 feet apart, with
markers for people to stand
on while waiting in line. Ven-
dors will be required to wear
masks, hand sanitizer will be
available on tables, and every-
thing will be cleaned regu-
larly. Extra space between
booths will mean that more
booths will be spread around
the outside of the open-air
pavilion, under individual
tents. And no early shoppers
Hermiston Herald
CONGRATULATIONS
EO fi le photo
Shoppers pass through the new Maxwell Siding Pavilion during the Maxwell Farmers Market
in Hermiston last year. The market will run from 4-8 p.m. each Thursday in 2020 at the Maxwell
Pavilion, 145 N. First Place in Hermiston, and will include live music.
will be allowed, in order to
give vendors the extra time
needed to set up.
The market will run from
4-8 p.m. each Thursday at
the Maxwell Pavilion, 145 N.
First Place in Hermiston, and
will include live music.
Myers said the market will
add more booths outside the
main pavilion as the season
goes on, but farmers selling
produce were given priority
for spaces initially available.
“A crafter doesn’t have
a perishable crop,” he said.
“When strawberries come off
the vine, strawberries have got
to be sold.”
He said he is excited to
offer the market to people who
have been cooped up indoors
for months, but acknowledged
that some people, particularly
those in high-risk categories,
may still feel it is too risky.
“That’s a decision people
have to make for themselves,”
he said. “We’ll do our part to
keep things safe.”
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