Exclusive | New store will replace vacant Sears at Columbia Center mall in Tri-Cities
JoAnn Fabric and Crafts is getting a new home — and this one will be much larger.
The fabric and crafts store will be almost doubling in size next year when they move from their current location to Columbia Center mall.
Building permits filed with the city of Kennewick show the popular chain will move from 16,000 square feet to just shy of 30,000 square feet.
JoAnn will be taking over half of the former Sears store, with an entrance into the mall, as well as one to the outside.
Remodeling work already has started on the entrance on the south side of mall.
The full move is expected to happen in spring 2023, with an anticipated April opening.
An employee told the Tri-City Herald that they plan to start preparing for the move sometime in January after the holiday shopping season.
Columbia Gardens food trucks
There’s a lot happening at the Columbia Gardens Wine and Artisan Village.
Swampy’s BBQ’s brick and mortar construction is set to begin soon, with approval for easements given by the Port of Kennewick at its most recent meeting.
In the meantime, they’re still at the village daily in their food truck.
Also, after a successful preview during the village’s Vine Cutting event, Botanas Culichi has officially joined the village family.
The truck serves a variety of botanas or “snacks” popular in Culiacán, their hometown in Mexico, according to a release from the port. Favorites include tostada ceviche with shrimp, Tostilocos and Red Bull loco fruit drinks.
They are open from noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
The village posts daily and weekly food truck schedules on the Columbia Gardens Facebook page.
Ice Harbor update
There’s been a small, but significant update for one of the Tri-Cities’ favorite microbreweries.
Ice Harbor Brewery has applied for a liquor license for its future location above the Public Market at Columbia River Warehouse at 10 E. Bruneau St.
They’re hoping to be open by the end of the year, but supply chain equipment issues have slowed the move, Ice Harbor co-owner Bill Jacques told the Herald in August.
The license will allow them to operate the microbrewery, ship beer within Washington, sell kegs and growlers and operate the restaurant and bar.
The Ice Harbor entrance will be near Bruneau and North Washington Street, while the market entrance is on the other side at Bruneau and North Beech Street.
Ice Harbor is investing about $400,000 in the move, and will double the size of its flagship Benton Street location, which will close once the move is complete. Ice Harbor at the Marina will remain open.
The new kitchen is almost three times larger than the current facility, and the cold storage area will give them double the room to brew. Eventually they plan capitalize on the added room to expand their brewing and distribution operations.
They’re also gaining enough room to comfortably accommodate 120 customers, double the occupancy of their current space. They also have big plans for the spacious outdoor area.
Trampoline park
Work looks to be beginning soon on a new Tri-Cities trampoline park.
Quake Trampoline park was announced this spring, and the developer recently filed for permits valued at $5.8 million with Benton County.
The indoor park will be just outside Kennewick in the Badger Canyon area off Interstate 82 and East Badger Road (Clearwater Avenue) before the highway interchange.
“This park will be classified as a Family Entertainment Center because, along with trampolines, we will have a toddler playground, multiple virtual reality arcades, E-gaming, tactical laser tag, laser maze, cafe and lounge, party areas, conference rooms and other attractions,” developer Paul Knabe told the Herald in an e-mail earlier this year. “This will be much bigger than a trampoline park.”
It would be the second trampoline park in the Tri-Cities, and about twice the size of the Max Air Trampoline Park south of Columbia Center mall in Kennewick.
This story was originally published October 8, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Exclusive | New store will replace vacant Sears at Columbia Center mall in Tri-Cities."
