Story by Rodger Nichols for Gorge Country Media
Wasco County Commissioners met yesterday and heard a major request from Mary Hanlon. She’s the developer who bought the old car dealership across from Sawyers and plans a five-story apartment complex on the site. She’s been working through a number of requirements and has assembled nearly all of the funding for the $30 million project, which would add 116 badly needed apartments to The Dalles. Yesterday she asked the county for some help to get the project over the line.
“We are requesting today that the county purchase the land and we’ll lease it back from you, and that would be enough to fill the gap between what the loan is and what the construction costs are.”
The cost to the county would be $3.2 million, and Hanlon said once the construction loans are paid off in three years, she would start purchasing the land back from the county. While the move would take the property off the tax rolls, the lease payments would greatly exceed the current tax the county receives from an empty building.
Hanlon said the 116 apartments would not be low-income housing.
“These are market rate units, but they’re very much workforce housing. They work for teachers, nurses, fireman, police officers. They’re for people working.”
Commissioners did not guarantee to purchase the land, but did agree to allow the parties time to develop a detailed proposal, which would be subject to a final vote in early October.