Excerpt taken from the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County Teamwork April 2008 #98 Newsletter

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash., Apr. 22, 2008 - An additional future boost to Pierce County tourism will be a conference resort facility to be built at Cascadia, Washington state's largest planned community, located near Bonney Lake. The facility will be one of the finest of its sort anywhere, says Patrick Kuo, the president and CEO of Cascadia.

"We are looking at developing a world-class facility that eventually will have a minimum of 250 rooms." Kuo says. "It will be more than a destination resort and more like an urban conference center without being in the city itself. Nothing like it exists close to any major city in the United States. It will be situated in a naturally beautiful area close to many recreational amenities, including a culinary institute, equestrian center and golf course, but will be only 15 minutes from Tacoma and 30 minutes from SeaTac Airport. That makes it much closer to urban centers than facilities in New York and San Francisco, for example, which can take half a day to reach from the airport.

"We might be able to link up with the Greater Tacoma Convention Center by being able to host certain types of regional and international conferences together. And the facility will be up and running by the time the U.S. Open golf tournament is held at Chambers Bay, providing much-needed additional rooms at that time."

Building will start next year, shortly after the completion of the Cascadia golf course, being designed by John Harbottle, one of the most sought-after golf-course architects in the United States. The conference facility, to open in 2012, will be close not only to the golf course, but also to horseback riding facilities and 1,500 acres of forest, parks, winding trails and open space, Kuo adds. Phase 1 of Cascadia, covering about 1,700 acres and to be officially launched this summer, will include residential sites, a business and clean-technology park, retail stores and restaurants.