Details of new Queensgate movie theater, hotel announced

It’s been 10 years since Richland residents could go see the latest blockbuster movie without going to Pasco or Kennewick.

That fact didn’t go unmentioned during a Thursday news conference announcing more details of Lincoln Landing, a project valued at more than $30 million that will bring a luxury theater, extended stay hotel and more restaurants and retail shops to the Queensgate area.

“Have I mentioned it’s been a decade since we’ve had a movie theater?” City Manager Cindy Johnson joked with the crowd.

Construction of the theater, operated by Fairchild Cinemas, could begin this week, with its reclining leather seats and other premium amenities opening by Thanksgiving for the prime holiday movie season.

The planned hotel, tentatively expected to be the Home 2 Suites brand of the hospitality group Hilton Worldwide, could open in summer 2016.

But the tremendous cooperation between city officials and private developers that led to Lincoln Landing becoming a reality was the main undercurrent of Thursday’s announcement.

“It’s been hand in glove,” said Brent Keller, CEO of Amara Development Co. of Ogden, Utah.

Queensgate is one of the fastest growing commercial and residential areas in the Tri-Cities along with the Southridge area in Kennewick.

Big box retailers Target, Wal-Mart and Home Depot are already at Queensgate as are several smaller businesses, chain stores and restaurants.

Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Carter’s, OshKosh B’Gosh, Qdoba and Hop Jack’s restaurant are scheduled to open in the area in the coming months.

Amara bought the 14.5-acre parcel for Lincoln Landing along Interstate 182 between Queensgate and Keene roads from the Kennewick Irrigation District last year for $1.9 million.

The city had a clear plan for the area, Keller told the Herald, and he and his company were impressed with that vision and the infrastructure already in place.

“We’re proud to be able to invest in Richland,” he said. “We like what we see here.”

The theater will have 12 screens and cover 43,000 square feet, said Fairchild Cinemas President Jeff Fairchild.

Similar theaters would usually seat 2,000 but the larger reclining seats with electronic controls and swinging concession tables, will mean there are just 1,100 seats.

The concession area also will be enhanced compared Fairchild’s other theaters in Pasco and Moses Lake, and moviegoers will be able to buy tickets and reserve specific seats online. The cost of the tickets was not available.

“It’s something that’s not in the market and we wanted to bring that here,” Fairchild said.

Western States Lodging is developing the hotel site and company partner Gary Griffiths said Hilton is interested in the project, though the hotelier hasn’t officially signed on to the project yet.

Hilton’s Home 2 Suites brand offers mid-priced extended stay suites that cater to frequent travelers and Western States’ other Home 2 Suites projects have seen many government and military customers, Griffiths said.

The relative of ease of getting to the Hanford site and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory from Lincoln Landing, along with the draw of the nearby theater, restaurants and retail stores, made such a hotel an ideal project, he said.

Lincoln Landing is not receiving any tax breaks or incentives from Richland, developers and city officials said. However, the speed at which city planners responded to questions and moved along the project’s review process demonstrated their dedication to seeing Lincoln Landing through.

“The last two projects I was involved in took 120 days (to get through review),” Griffiths said. “Today we’re doing it in 21. That’s a tribute to the politicians and city staff.”

The city’s efforts to build another bridge across the Yakima River to Queensgate at Duportail Street will make Lincoln Landing even more successful, by increasing access, said officials.

The estimated $38 million project is part of a state transportation package, Johnson said, though it has yet to be approved by the Legislature.

“(Lincoln Landing) can still be successful without it,” she added.

This story was originally published February 26, 2015 at 11:39 AM with the headline "Details of new Queensgate movie theater, hotel announced."