Charter Bus Company Moving to Vancouver

RIDGEFIELD, WA-The charter bus company MTR Western has acquired five acres in a Port of Ridgefield industrial park for a new outpost. The Seattle-based operation paid $890,000 for the property and plans to spend another $2.6 million erecting office, dispatch and maintenance facilities.MTR client list includes NBA teams traveling in the Northwest and river boat tour operators. For the NBA, the company handle all their transportation needs for teams coming to and from the Portland and Seattle airports. The firm also has a contract with American West Steamboat Co., which operates the Empress of the North and Queen of the West sternwheelers on the Columbia River. The cruises run from Portland, to Astoria, OR and Lewiston, ID, and MTR buses take passengers in day trips from both locations before their return trips.The site was convenient for the company for a number of reasons, including its location on Interstate 5 and near I-205, which provides direct access to Portland International Airport and the Columbia riverfront. As well, Pacific Detroit Deisel operates an engine and transmission maintenance facility across the street, making it convenient to service the company’s buses. “Our warranty shop will be across the street from us,” MTR chief executive Darren Berg tells GlobeSt.com.The land for the development was technically purchased not by MTR but by CGT Enterprises, a real estate holding company owned by Berg that will develop the facility and lease it to MTR. The company owns similar facilities in Seattle and the Dalles, OR, and is in the process of acquiring a facility in Burnaby, BC, Berg tells GlobeSt.com. The company will relocate to the new facility from leased space on Marine Drive in Portland. MTR is currently drafting a design-build request for proposals to develop their new Ridgefield complex, which will include a close-quarters maneuvering track for training drivers and up to 20,000 sf of buildings, including 4,000 sf of office space. Once a developer is selected and construction begins, the buildings in Ridgefield should take less than four months to complete.