Some are under construction and some are gettin' renewable!

We saw two themes in this week's issue of Around the State. First, there were several announcements related to large, new construction projects:

• Goodwill Industries will build a 25,000-square-foot retail store in Warrenton. It will employ 30 to 35 people. Daily Astorian, 12-3-09

• Madras Professional Center is under construction. Hometown Drugs will occupy part of the space and the remainder will house up to three other tenants. Madras Pioneer, 11-25-09

• Construction of the natural gas Ruby Pipeline, which is planned to start in 2010, is expected to employ up to 800 workers in Lake County and 600 workers in Klamath County at the peak of the summer construction season. Herald and News, 12-8-09

• The Home Depot Inc. plans to build a $30.5 million, 465,000-square-foot distribution warehouse at the Mill Creek Corporate Center in Salem. It will employ about 175 people. Statesman Journal, 12-16-09

• Wal-Mart plans to build a 187,000-square-foot store in Albany. It will employ 300 to 350 people. Construction is expected to take about a year after planning with the city is complete. KDRV.com, 12-14-09


We also noted three big announcements related to the production of renewable energy:

• Ocean Power Technologies awarded Oregon Iron Works of Clackamas a contract to construct the first of 10 massive power-generating buoys planned for an ocean site about two miles offshore near Reedsport. Sause Bros. Ocean Towing in Portland will tow the first of the buoys to the site. If OPT continues to contract with Sause Bros., it could hire six to 12 people from the Coos Bay area to work on the project. The World, 12-4-09

• General Electric Corp. received a $1.4-billion contract to supply turbines for a 845-megawatt wind farm project in Gilliam and Morrow counties. Caithness Energy’s Shepherds Flat project has received most of the government permits it needs. It will employ 400 workers during construction and 35 during operation. Construction on the 338-turbine wind farm will start next year and is expected to be finished in 2012. The Dalles Chronicle, 12-10-09

• A biodiesel fuel blending facility is under construction in Ontario. PC Energy LLC − a joint project of Poole Oil in Ontario and Campo Oil from Fruitland, Idaho − hopes to use Connect Oregon funds to improve rail infrastructure to the facility, which could add five jobs. Argus Observer, 12-3-09

Of course, there were also many announcements about businesses opening, closing, or making other changes. You can read about it in this week's issue!
Older issues also available.