Pasco outlines 2025 state legislative priorities; seeks funding for MLK center, parks and major road projects

Pasco City Council hosted a 2025 Washington State legislative pre‑session update during which city staff and council members laid out a package of capital funding requests and policy priorities to visiting state lawmakers.

The city presented top grant requests that included $900,000 for phase 2 renovations of the Martin Luther King Community Center, $500,000 to develop a new three‑acre neighborhood park near Massey Drive and Road 80, $5 million to begin design and right‑of‑way acquisition for the proposed Road 76 overpass, and funding to study safety improvements at the U.S.‑12/A Street interchange. City staff also flagged a need for additional acreage to expand the Processed Water Reuse Facility used by regional food processors and detailed a request to demolish the old Lewis Street underpass tied to the recently completed Lewis Street overpass project.

Why it matters: Pasco officials said the requests reflect growth pressures and gaps in the city’s capital budget as they balance a $520.5 million biennial budget. Several items — especially transportation projects — would affect traffic flow, economic access and safety across Pasco and the Tri‑Cities region.

What the city asked for

• Martin Luther King Community Center Phase 2 — $900,000: Council member Prowls introduced the request, noting the center was built in 1976 and that a prior state appropriation of $1,000,000 (secured in 2021) funded initial renovations focused on Benton‑Franklin Head Start spaces. Phase 2 as described by city staff would enclose an existing open atrium as a public gathering space, create a library, and add ADA‑accessible restrooms. “This is a capital funding request,” Council member Prowls said, adding that the city will pair the state ask with grant and local funds.

• Neighborhood park at Massey Drive & Road 80 — $500,000: The city described a three‑acre site adjacent to 3 Rivers Elementary intended for playgrounds, pathways, courts and other amenities to address what staff called a local “park desert.” Parks staff said Pasco currently dedicates about 3% of city land to parks versus a 15% national median figure cited during the presentation.

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