HERMISTON — The Hermiston City Council approved an $8 million contribution from Amazon Web Services to develop a recreational vehicle park near the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center.

The council voted 6-1 during its regular meeting Monday, May 12, at Hermiston City Hall after reviewing an agreement and license for the RV park expansion. Under the agreement, AWS will have priority access to 100 spaces for contractors working on its local data centers, while the remaining spaces will be available for event use.

According to a city staff report, a few months ago, Amazon Web Services asked the city of Hermiston to help address a housing shortage for contractors building its data centers. Many of the contractors travel for work and live in recreational vehicles. In response, the city agreed to partner with AWS to build an RV park near the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center.

The project includes dedicated spaces for AWS workers and additional spots the city can use. The plan aligns with the EOTEC master plan, which designates the area for event camping. The city developed a cost estimate and worked with AWS to finalize the agreement the council approved.

AWS agreed to pay $8 million in four installments over the construction period. The city has committed to completing the project by December 2026.

Hermiston City Manager Byron Smith told the council he hopes to complete the project before the Umatilla County Fair and Farm City Pro Rodeo in August 2026, although it’s projected to finish at a later time.

Smith said the plan would fulfill the city’s original agreement with Umatilla County when it received the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center property.

“It creates two assets,” he said. “We’ll operate the park and generate revenue from it, and we’ll also have event-related camping available for activities at EOTEC.”

Concern about RV park policy

City Councilor Jackie Linton said she had concerns about a clause in the adoption agreement stating that non-Amazon users would have to vacate the RV park if Amazon needed the space.

“I was thinking, since it’s on a daily basis, why can’t we make it weekly,” Linton said. “Let them know they can be there for a week, but no longer than that if someone else comes in. Otherwise, someone could move in today and have to leave the next day if an Amazon employee shows up.”

Smith said the city has not finalized policies for how the park will operate.

“We’re going to try to be good stewards of it,” he said. “Amazon is building it, so they’re going to get some preference. We’ll do the best we can to accommodate other users, but Amazon will have first priority.”

City Councilor Jeff Kelso described the project as “exciting.” He said the development could generate revenue for the next 50 to 100 years, with the city retaining ownership of the property.

“It’s a great chance to acquire surrounding land and expand our EOTEC presence,” he said. “I’m fully in favor of this. It’s yet another benefit of having AWS in our region.”

City Councilor Maria Duron said the project could bring new people to the area, and some workers might choose to remain in Hermiston permanently after their assignments end.

Linton was the no vote on the deal, saying the language should be tightened before approval.

City Councilor Allen Hayward recused himself from the discussion, citing his employment as a network technician with Amazon Web Services since March 2021.