Yahoo Picks Wenatchee for Wash. State Site

Yahoo! Inc. has selected Wenatchee, Washington as the location for a new data center, ending a site search in which it explored several locations in central Washington. Yahoo will lease most of the remaining space at the Port of Chelan's port's Confluence Technology Center, becoming its largest tenant, the Port announced. Yahoo signed a $6.23 million, 10-year contract to rent 45,000 square feet of space in the four-level building, which opened in May 2004, according to the Associated Press.

"This is great news for North Central Washington - really for the whole state," said Mike Mackey, president of the Port of Chelan County Commission. "This is the breakthrough we've been working toward in our campaign to attract information technology companies to the area. Yahoo is a huge first step and we hope their presence here will attract more investment."

"We are very excited to have this opportunity and look forward to becoming an active part of the community," said Kevin Timmons, Yahoo's Vice President of Operations. "We chose North Central Washington for this important facility because of the great quality of life here, the immediate availability of suitable space, the 'can-do' spirit of port and other community leaders we've met, the cost and reliability of electricity, and the access to a world-class fiber optic network. They've taken all the right steps to create a terrific environment for us."

Yahoo also considered a site in Grant County, according to officials there. Last month Microsoft bought land for a data center in the Port of Quincy, not far from Wenatchee. The Port of Chelan, together with Chelan Public Utility District and the Northwest Open Access Network (NoaNet), have been investing in infrastructureover the past several years with a goal of attracting technology companies.