|
Governor signs bill to
create Lewis County PFD,
support construction of REQ Center
Alexander says persistence was key to legislation's
passage
The first ceremony
associated with the proposed Southwest Washington Regional Equestrian
Center took place at the Capitol today with Gov. Christine Gregoire's
signing of
House Bill 2388. The measure, introduced by 20th District
Rep. Gary Alexander, allows Lewis County to create a public
facilities district that would help underpin the planned construction of
a $60 million domed arena along Interstate 5 near Winlock.
"Our communities needed
new economic opportunities in the wake of the TransAlta mine closure.
Many people worked hard over many days to make sure the Legislature and
the governor understood our situation, and today their efforts were
acknowledged," said Alexander, R-Thurston County.
Alexander introduced his
original Lewis County PFD bill (House Bill 1164) on day three of the
2007 legislative session. There was high-level support for the idea
early on, he said, but some unexpected hurdles had to be cleared in the
next 102 days, before the Legislature passed HB 2388 on the session's
final day.
"I was pretty confident
this bill would pass -- it was one of the sentimental favorites of the
session," Alexander explained. "I was less confident about how it would
look, and when it would emerge, because other communities and other
legislators started noticing how this legislation could help with their
needs.
"This horse was carrying
not only the equestrian center for Lewis County but also a regional
center for Kent and historic theaters in Yakima and Longview by the time
it reached the finish line. All that extra weight is why the bill didn't
get through until the final day of the session.
"There are a lot of parts
to a major undertaking like the REQ Center. A PFD provides a framework
for getting all those parts together," said Alexander.
The REQ Center would host
major rodeo and bull riding events, as well as other equestrian events
and music concerts. Centralia businessman Larry Hewitt, head of the REQ
Center group, says the facility would include a learning center to
provide a continuing education facility for equine and agricultural
sciences.
"I expect two more
ceremonies: one when ground is broken for the REQ Center, and the other
when its doors officially open," Alexander said.
# # #
Contact: Rep. Alexander,
(360) 786-7990
Eric Campbell, House Republican Communications, (360) 786-7720
|