PASCO, WA – A well-known hotbed for crime, the Thunderbird Motel, is slated to be torn down to create additional parking for the Pasco Farmer’s Market and businesses downtown.
The city used $1.2 million from the Economic Development Fund to buy the motel. Once the motel is torn down, about 80 new parking spaces will be created right around the corner from the new and improved peanuts park. This is another investment into the revitalization of the Downtown Pasco area.
According to the Economic Development Manager for the City of Pasco, Mike Gonzalez, businesses and farmers market venders have both expressed the need for more parking downtown.
“If we have that epicenter of parking that makes it easy, it makes it really convenient for people to come here,” Gonzalez said. “I feel like more people are going to come here and that’s going to spark more economic prosperity.”
Gonzalez said the Thunderbird Motel is well known for crime and homeless people often hang around the area. He said tearing it down could also potentially help remove some of the crime in the downtown area.
The Thunderbird Motel isn’t licensed to have people live there long term but there are a few people staying there on vouchers. Gonzalez said the fire department and other partners in the community will help those people find places to stay before they need to evacuate.
