WENATCHEE — Taxable retail sales in Douglas County grew nearly 47 percent last year to $670 million, soaring on the 30-acre data center complex that the Sabey Corp. is building near Pangborn Memorial Airport.

The county's sales last year contrasts sharply with taxable retail sales statewide, which shrank 4.3 percent to about $113 billion last year, according to figures released Tuesday by the state Department of Revenue.

As a whole, North Central Washington also outperformed the state last year. Sales increased by 2.6 percent in Chelan County and by almost 1 percent in Grant County. Sales in Okanogan County dropped nearly a percent.

The region's residents, businesses and government didn't begin feeling acute recessionary pressures until early this year. State figures for this year's first-quarter sales won't be out until summer.

In a single tax category for professional, scientific and technical services, Douglas County's sales surged 1,014 percent to $30.8 million. The category includes engineers, architects, attorneys and drafters.

"When you spend $150 million in a single county, it's going to show," said Pat Haley, Port of Douglas County director Wednesday of the county's construction-fueled tax increase. "It puts money into coffers."

The T-Mobile portion of the Sabey Complex cost $150 million to build and another $100 million to equip, a T-Mobile spokesman said last month following a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Another tenant, VMware, is nearing completion of its own building at the Sabey site.

Taxable retail sales on construction increased nearly 180 percent in Douglas County and by about 28 percent in Chelan County.

Motor vehicle sales declined regionwide — by nearly 15 percent in Chelan County, 13 percent in Douglas County, 8 percent in Grant County and about one-half percent in Okanogan County.

Overall, taxable retail sales were down 4 percent in King County, 7 percent in Pierce County, 8 percent in Snohomish County, 4 percent in Spokane County and 6 percent in Clark County.

Statewide, construction declined 9 percent, the numbers show, motor vehicle sales dropped 17 percent, building materials dropped 9 percent and construction dropped nearly 4 percent.

Information services rose about 3 percent.

Retail trade was up in all NCW counties except Chelan, where it declined by 6.2 percent to $621.8 million. Statewide, the figure dropped 6.1 percent to $48.3 billion.

Retail trade is a subset of all taxable retail sales that excludes construction, services and other non-retail businesses. Retail trade is a better measure of consumer purchases, Department of Revenue officials say.

Statewide, retail sales from construction dropped 3.8 percent to $23.3 billion; motor vehicle and parts dropped 17.3 percent to $10.5 billion; accommodations and food services rose 1.4 percent to $11.1 billion; general merchandise stores declined 1.8 percent to $9.8 billion; the retail component of wholesale trade slid 6.5 percent to $8.7 billion; miscellaneous retailers dropped 2.9 percent to $5.9 billion; information services rose 3.2 percent to $4.9 billion; and building materials, garden equipment and supplies dropped 9.0 percent to $4.9 billion.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Christine Pratt: 665-1173

pratt@wenatcheeworld.com