FORKS — After more than a decade of vacancy, the Forks industrial park is preparing to welcome a major new tenant.
Riverside Forest Products, a Canada-based company with decades of experience in wood manufacturing, is moving forward with plans to open a sawmill on the site, representing a $12 million capital investment, according to city officials.
The Forks City Council recently authorized the mayor and staff to proceed with a lease agreement with Riverside, signaling a major step toward revitalizing the site. The property was previously home to Allen Logging and Interfor, but it has sat largely unused for about 10 years, aside from a small custom mill currently in operation.
City attorney and planner Rod Fleck said there are still infrastructure hurdles to address.
“It is good news,” Fleck said. “But there’s a lot of work to do.”
One of the biggest challenges is electrical capacity. The industrial park is not currently equipped to support a mill of that size.
City officials said they plan to apply for a Clallam County Opportunity Fund grant to help cover necessary power system upgrades.
“It is challenging for our community to support power at Tier 1 rates,” said Colleen McAleer during the Coffee with Colleen Meeting held via Zoom last week.
Despite the concerns, officials said they are optimistic Riverside will succeed where previous wood product companies have struggled.
Asked why he’s confident in the company’s prospects, Fleck pointed to Riverside’s track record. The company has operated a mill in Surrey, British Columbia, for 20 years, and the owner has more than 30 years of experience in the timber industry, Fleck said.
“There are no guarantees in life,” Fleck said. “But I think they have a good business sense, and I feel as confident as I can that they’ve got the wherewithal to make this happen. Government can’t guarantee what the private sector will do, but we can work with them and try to continue or restore a long history of timber utilization and manufacturing on the West End.”
Officials said the sawmill project has the potential to bring much-needed jobs and economic activity back to Forks.
The city council is expected to discuss infrastructure, funding options and a project timeline in future meetings.
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Reporting intern Allora Walls is a student at Peninsula College. She can be reached by email at allora.walls@peninsuladailynews.com.
