Rock Island Waterfront District

The City of Rock Island is featuring the roughly 207-acre Waterfront District as a unique redevelopment opportunity in the Wenatchee Valley. This property has approximately 6,500 feet of Columbia River frontage and existing assets that could factor into the property’s reuse including a former silicon smelter plant and BNSF rail access. While gaps exist, there is the ability to extend municipal infrastructure, and access to highway, rail, and the Columbia River.

It has large parcels zoned for a mix of land uses within an Urban Growth Area including commercial, mixed use, industrial, and recreation. The City adopted the Rock Island Waterfront Subarea Plan based on community engagement, economic analysis, and technical studies that creates a roadmap for redevelopment. This is just one vision for the property. Given the zoning and sheer size of the property, a broad combination of uses could be developed here.

Property Summary

Waterfront Property Highlights

Property Details

City Regulatory Environment

The City of Rock is supportive of development and has recently gone through the process of rezoning the property to be more flexible. With the new zoning—Industrial-Commercial—there is a wide range of potential uses that could be successful on the site.
The purpose of this mixed industrial and commercial zone is to encourage development that can be beneficial to the community, fitted to the area, and economically successful. The overall goal is that the Rock Island Waterfront will be a vibrant destination for working, living, and playing, that honors the past and serves the future.

Industrial-Commercial Zoning | Potential Uses

The property is largely privately controlled. Approximately 19 of the 26 parcels that make up the 207 acres are privately owned by three organizations. The other significant property owner is the BNSF Railway Company. The three largest private assemblages (excluding BNSF) each comprise 76 acres, 36 acres, and 11 acres, respectively. These large parcel sizes present opportunities for large scale investment. Development of these large parcels will likely require subdivision to efficiently organize building pads and provide streets and infrastructure.

Where is Rock Island?

Rock Island is in Douglas County, Washington. It sits within the Wenatchee-East Wenatchee Metro area. Rock Island is a growing community nestled along the Columbia River on the east slope of the Cascade Mountains. The city boasts lush, green landscapes and stunning views of the mountains and river. It is situated at the gateway to the mountains and residents enjoy an abundance of recreational activities such as fishing, camping, biking, and hiking. Its also home to a vibrant art scene with galleries and music. Rock Island is located east and south of Wenatchee and is under 3 hours from Seattle and Spokane.

Amenities and Other Major Hubs

Pangborn Airport (Direct flights to Seattle and Hawaii)

10 minutes to Wenatchee

Columbia River boating and fishing

Rock Island Golf Course and nearby Highlander Golf Course

Numerous inland lakes for fishing and non-motorized boating

Regularly scheduled community festivals

Home of the Rock Bar & Grill

Most of the Rock Island workforce is drawn from nearby Wenatchee. That said, employers that establish a presence at the Waterfront District may draw workers from throughout Douglas County, Chelan County and beyond. Additionally, the prime age labor force in both counties is growing at a faster rate than the state.