RiverCom secures future home, opts for renovation over new build to cut costs by $16 million

WENATCHEE — The region’s 911 dispatch agency has taken a major step toward securing a long-overdue home. RiverCom 911 has purchased a building in Wenatchee at 2525 Euclid Way in Old Station, with plans to renovate it into a modern emergency communications center. The move is expected to save taxpayers more than $16 million compared with building a new facility.

Instead of the roughly $24.5 million it would cost to build new, RiverCom estimates renovation of the existing structure will run about $8.5 million. The project includes structural hardening to meet code requirements for 911 centers, which are designed to remain operational during natural disasters, and space to support modern equipment, staffing, and dispatch workloads across Chelan and Douglas counties.

The renovated facility is expected to be ready in early 2027.

Why it matters

• Fiscal responsibility. Renovation avoids the higher cost of new construction and reduces long-term taxpayer impact.
  
  
• Relief for Wenatchee Police Department. RiverCom currently operates out of WPD headquarters, a space described as “stressed beyond capacity” in a 2019 facility study. The move will return that space to police operations as the city grows.
  
  
• Improved emergency readiness. A dedicated and hardened dispatch center will give RiverCom room to expand and adopt modern communications technology, an important step as call volumes rise along with population and seasonal tourism.

A long-running problem finally addressed

RiverCom provides emergency dispatch services for all law enforcement, fire, and EMS agencies across 4,741 square miles in Chelan and Douglas counties. The agency serves about 130,000 residents, a number that increases sharply during recreation seasons. RiverCom responds to an average of 67,500 emergency calls each year and supports roughly 50 family-wage jobs.

Leaders and first responders have long pointed to the strain on the current facility, noting communication gaps, rising call loads, and the limits of operating from borrowed space. The planned renovation allows RiverCom to modernize without delaying its need for a stable, purpose-built home.

How it’s paid for

RiverCom may sell all or part of a 12-acre parcel in East Wenatchee that was purchased in 2024 for a potential new build. Proceeds from a sale would offset renovation costs and lessen the long-term financial burden on taxpayers.

“This investment ensures we can keep pace with the growing emergency 911 needs of Chelan and Douglas counties,” said Executive Director Doug Jones. “By renovating an existing structure instead of building new, and by selling land we no longer require, we can deliver a modern, resilient 911 facility at the lowest responsible cost.”

What’s next

With the building purchase complete, renovation work will begin soon. If the project remains on schedule, the upgraded center will open before early 2027. The new facility will strengthen the region’s emergency communications system and finally give RiverCom the space and stability it has lacked for years — a change that also restores needed room to the Wenatchee Police Department.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media