Kennewick's landmark building popularly nicknamed "the flashcube" has new owners and will soon have a new, more modern look.

HAPO Community Credit Union closed the sale Thursday, said Steve Anderson, HAPO's executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Anderson declined to release the sale price.

The Benton County Assessor's website lists the land value as $4.4 million and the value of the building at $3.7 million. The assessor's site lists the previous owners as trustees, Freeda Curtis-Cervo and Steven W. Bennett.

The 52,500-square-foot building at 7601 W. Clearwater Ave. at the corner with busy Columbia Center Boulevard was built in 1980.

"It's truly a landmark location," Anderson said. "We understand the significance of the location to the city of Kennewick, and everyone who grew up with it."

HAPO has been discussing remodeling ideas with the firm that designs and builds its branches, and shared those ideas with Kennewick city officials, Anderson said.

"They liked what we showed them. I'm sure people will be very, very happy with the changes we make on that corner," he said.

HAPO's goal is to link the corporation's name with the building so firmly that "HAPO is the first word they say before flashcube," Anderson said.

Remodeling of the interior will begin immediately with the exterior work to come sometime in the spring. In June, the credit union will open a new branch on the ground floor and move much of its home mortgage operations there as well.

There already are several tenants including federal government offices, jewelers and the bilingual language newspaper tu Decides.

"We're not making any changes to their leases but will be aggressively looking for more tenants with help from our leasing agent, Windermere Tri-Cities," Anderson said.