Kennewick Fred Meyer store undergoing ‘store of the future’ remodeling
The Fred Meyer in Kennewick is getting a “store of the future” overhaul.
A $1.6 million interior remodel already is underway at the store on West 10th Avenue, said Jeffrey Temple, corporate affairs manager for Fred Meyer. The store will remain open during the work.
Changes include a new alcoholic beverage department and an expanded grocery area with 20 percent more refrigeration and shelf space.
The seasonal and promotional items sections also are expanding.
Temple said that remodeling and redesigning the electronics, home and apparel sections also will bring the store’s aesthetic in line with more recent store designs.
The electronics department will have more freestanding tables, displays and end caps that are easy for customers to navigate while comparing products side-by-side.
The Fred Meyer on Wellsian Way in Richland received a $12 million renovation in 2017 that created a free-standing alcohol section in the former electronics department, among other changes.
Vista Field Industrial Park
O’Brien Construction is building $2 million in warehouses in Kennewick as part of the Vista Field Industrial II project.
The three buildings will range from 11,500 square feet to 15,750 square feet.
The three acres were purchased in 2019 for about $841,000 from MS Properties, according to state records.
Michael Shemali, the owner of MS Properties, as well as co-owner of Mid-Columbia Wine and Spirits, originally bought two parcels totaling about 10 acres from the Port of Kennewick for $1.64 million in 2016. He has since sold some of the land.
He is building a fourth warehouse on the same site that will be 6,900 square feet. He told the Herald, for now, it will will serve as storage for his online wine auction house Hooked on Wine, which is touted as eBay’s largest wine seller.
The project is one of several warehouse projects that O’Brien Construction has developed in the industrial area across from the Vista Field revitalization project.
Among the businesses that have landed in the area include Airefco heating and air conditioning, Keller Supply Kitchen and Bath and Specialty Products and Insulation.