The city of Hermiston hosts an open house June 23, 2025, at its South Hermiston Industrial Park. (City of Hermiston/Contributed Photo)

HERMISTON  — The city of Hermiston puts the spotlight on progress with an open house June 23 at the South Hermiston Industrial Park.

SHIP has been a hub of activity since 2021, with private investment and infrastructure improvements activating the 930 acres into a burgeoning economic zone with room to grow, according to the announcement from the city about the open house. The event opens at 9 a.m. at Southeast Ninth Street and East Penny Avenue in the industrial park to showcase what has happened as well as what’s on horizon for the SHIP

“The SHIP is out of sight and out of mind for most folks, but it has been a growing economic

engine for the region for many years,” Hermiston Assistant City Manager Mark Morgan said in the announcement. “The city and all of our public and private partners have invested heavily in the basic infrastructure and the business community has responded by building, adding jobs, and growing the tax base.”

The city and its public and private partners have extended roads and utilities in the park,

creating an environment ripe for growth. Because of its location at the nexus of interstate

highways, rail and shipping, the industrial park has attracted investment from a variety of

Industries, according to the city, including food processing, agricultural research, distributions, and utilities.

According to the city’s announcement, since 2021, private investment has accounted for $4.5 billion in planned and in progress projects across numerous businesses in the information, transportation, warehousing and utility sectors.

The next big project for the park is the Aquifer Storage & Recovery, which will pump water from the Columbia River during low-demand months and store it underground in the aquifer for use in the high-demand months. Amazon Web Services is covering the construction costs, including drilling the wells and installing pipes and pumps.

The open house includes an overview of the ongoing projects and businesses and an opportunity to see the work in progress on the aquifer storage.