Three projects funded: Riverfront Park, Dryden Wastewater, Loop Trail

WENATCHEE - Chelan PUD set aside nearly $3 million from the utility’s Public Power Benefit Program to advance three projects:

• Wenatchee Riverfront Park, $1.51 million: This project will build a new splash pad and pavilion as part of a three-phase masterplan at Riverfront Park. The PUD and City of Wenatchee have already allocated $4 million. The total cost of the first phase is an estimated $6-8 million. The final design will be finished this year, and construction is slated to begin in 2024.

• Dryden Wastewater Treatment Plant, $670,000: This project will replace the original treatment facility to meet modern water quality standards. The $5.67 million project will be funded with a combination of grant funding, a loan from the Department of Ecology and previous PPB funds. Construction is underway and is scheduled for completion in 2024.

• Apple Capital Loop Trail, $800,000: An extension of the Loop Trail to the Service Center at Olds Station will provide public access to a riverfront viewing area with cultural interpretive sites, including the Michael Horan House Historic Site. The project is scheduled for completion in 2025. 

The Public Power Benefit Fund uses revenues from surplus energy sales to support community-minded projects. The Board of Commissioners plan to allocate $6 million annually for 2023 and 2024.

About $3 million was already designated for a half dozen projects in 2023, including expansion of Chelan PUD’s broadband network and sport court improvements at Walla Walla Point Park.

In other news, commissioners: Heard a report about a schedule change in Customer Relations. The payment counter at the PUD’s Wenatchee lobby and customer account support via phone will be temporarily unavailable on Wednesdays for staff training and system improvements, starting May 3. Customers have many options to pay monthly utility bills, including the new Powerpay kiosks at PUD offices in Wenatchee, Chelan and Leavenworth.