With a total area of just under 1.5 square miles, Tenino may not have the biggest geographical footprint. But it’s nearly 1,900 residents and plenty of local visitors know that it’s a town with big dreams and a keen eye for the future. Mayor Wayne Fournier is excited to share some of the City of Tenino’s business development and recreation and road improvements.
From Gold Rush to Economic and Recreation Destination, Tenino is Growing
Settled during the California gold rush, today Tenino is an expanding city thanks to the hard work of dedicated civic officials like the mayor. He explains that looking ahead like this is part and parcel of his office. Seeking new projects and both state and federal funding has been the mayor’s focus. “Managing relationships and driving a vision is the key to effective leadership,” he shares.
Fournier especially loves that: “it’s a city where everyone still knows each other’s name and is full of caring, creative and driven people that have a tremendous amount of pride in where they live. Tenino’s story over the last 10 years has had ups and downs but it has been a story of a small city overcoming adversity large and small, inspiring the world during pandemic and economic turmoil, and fighting to retain its character while adapting to pressures of growth and change.”
Tenino Ag Park, Pump Track, Playground and Quarry Pool
Tenino’s Ag Park, officially the SW Washington Agricultural Business & Innovation Park, is a partnership between the city, Port of Olympia and Thurston Economic Development Council. It will include educational resources thanks to Washington State University Thurston County Extension and Centralia Community College and hopes to create nearly 200 jobs from the 13-acre site.
The Ag Park benefits farmers, families and businesses in Mason, Grays Harbor, Pacific, Cowlitz, Pierce, Thurston and Lewis counties through workforce development, regional food production, resilient supply chains, innovation and revitalizing Western Washington’s agriculture industry.
Fournier says they’re working to bring in a USDA meat processing facility as well as designing a larger ag retail and innovation building on the campus. “We received $1.25 million in the state capital budget for this and have a $4.4 million dollar earmark penciled in the federal budget,” he says. Other items scheduled within the business park will be an EDC branch office, slaughterhouse, food processing kitchen with culinary start-up space and even hot sauce business. Construction has begun and the first two buildings should open in late 2023 or early spring 2024.
Also in the works is completion of the city’s Park Playground. This one-million-dollar custom playground, says Fournier, features the first pump track of its type.
They’re also renovating the Quarry Pool, which is scheduled to open in July. The city has added a splash park with water features as well as a large-scale biofiltration system to the lake and docks. Not far away the city completed a half million-dollar renovation of the community center and added a walking-friendly boardwalk around a nearby pond. In combination, these make for the ideal destination on a lazy Saturday, after work drive, summertime exploration or spot to build your future.
Looking Forward While Celebrating Tenino’s Past
Roads and transportation infrastructure aren’t forgotten, either. Downtown corridor planning means two lighted crosswalks, paving, chip sealing and extending the Yelm Rainier Tenino Trail. “Building out the trail system is a goal of mine,” says Fournier. “I think it’s good for our region and it gets bikes off the roads.”
At the end of the day, Fournier simply loves his town and is proud of all they’ve accomplished. “Everything about these projects is exciting to me,” says the mayor, “and I love the idea of bringing new good paying jobs into Tenino along with creating community building opportunities and also just inspiring others to dream big.”
You can follow all the projects through the City of Tenino website or Facebook page. Are you a business owner looking to relocate to the Ag Park? No problem! Read more and contact the EDC’s Aslan Meade at 360.464.6054 or ameade@thurstonedc.com with questions or to get started today. The Tenino Area Chamber of Commerce hosts an events page for plenty of fun upcoming activities. Don’t miss out on becoming a vital, vibrant part of Tenino’s future.
