Commercial Real Estate

Diversified Sources of Revenue for State Trust Land Beneficiaries

Commercial real estate properties represent an important part of the diversified asset portfolio that DNR manages on behalf of state trust land beneficiaries. DNR manages eight properties with commercial buildings, including retail businesses, commercial office buildings, and commercial warehouses. DNR also manages 26 ground leases where DNR owns and leases the underlying land, but lessees own the improvements (buildings and other infrastructure) on those lands. The DNR Commercial Real Estate Program raises about $9 million in revenue every year for state trust land beneficiaries.

DNR offers both short-term and long-term leases for its commercial properties, and works closely with private and public entities that are interested in establishing new commercial lease sites. To view an interactive map of all active commercial real estate leases, visit our Commercial Real Estate Viewer.

Special Use

Special Use is the most diverse as it is a broad category for uses that do not fall within any of the other programs.  Examples include land leases to other State or Government agencies for corrections and rehabilitation facilities, schools and training academies, offices and public water systems. Other properties that fall into Special Use include commercial recreation, agricultural warehouses, communication buildings, forest or wildlife research, storage/stockpile sites, and structures on DNR land that can’t easily be relocated.

DNR manages over 150 Special Use leases across the State, with the vast majority in rural areas. Special Use properties provide around a million dollars of revenue a year to support various trusts that DNR manages on behalf of the State of Washington. Requests for temporary, intermittent or short term use are typically issued a Land Use License through the Region. Longer term exclusive use may warrant a Special Use Lease if the property is eligible for the intended purpose, compatible with neighboring properties, and has perfected legal ingress/egress to the site.