Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cwu Technology Transfer topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County to pursue next steps on CWU technology transfer center feasibility study
Summary
Staff briefed the board on a CWU technology transfer center feasibility study funded by a Washington State CERB grant (with 0.09 match); staff recommended next steps including warm-shell design, capital stacking and follow-up with COG, and the board directed staff to advance study steps.
Kittitas County staff described a feasibility study that examined using the former heat plant at Central Washington University as a regional technology-transfer center, and asked the board for direction to accept the study and work with the Conference of Governments (COG) on next phases.
"We were granted a" Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board grant, Preverson said, noting the county used some 0.09 funds as a match. The study — prepared with a consultant and outreach to stakeholders including CWU and the Chamber — recommends developing a "warm shell" (a ready-to-fit industrial space) and pursuing capital-stacking strategies that combine public grants and private investment to make the facility attractive to industry partners.
Preverson said the county obtained preliminary scoping dollars (about $18,000) that could be used to begin warm-shell design and initial capital-stacking planning. He emphasized the study was not architectural in the traditional sense but focused on how to leverage CWU ownership and regional partners to catalyze economic development.
Brian, the COG chair who joined remotely, said the timing and partnership could help the new executive director and the economic-development effort by having ready assets to offer potential employers.
A commissioner moved that staff proceed with the technology-transfer study next steps; the board asked staff to prepare a separate report and bring data documents back to a future meeting. No formal vote tally was recorded in the study-session transcript.
Next steps described by staff include accepting the study as a basis for further planning, refining warm-shell design and capital-stacking approaches, and coordinating with COG on project priorities for 2026.
