What’s being built there? $12M credit union + $20M new REA headquarters
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What’s being built there? A reader’s guide
What’s being built there? is an occasional Tri-City Herald feature that offers quick explanations of the building projects taking shape in the community. Suggest projects via email: news@tricityherald.com.
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Welcome to “What’s being built there?” — a regular Tri-City Herald feature with short explanations for the construction projects shaping Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, West Richland and surrounding communities.
Curious about construction or just want an update? Drop us a line: news@tricityherald.com.
Kennewick
Desert Hills subdivision
South Clodfelter Road at West 15th Place
A reader asked about land being cleared on a triangle-shaped property near Desert Hills Middle School.
It’s going to be a small subdivision, according to Kennewick building permits.
Muzzy Construction LLC, which owns the two-acre parcel, secured a building permit for the construction utilities, including a private road for eight lots.
Idaho Central Credit Union
3720 S. Zintel Way
Idaho Central Credit Union is building a 4,600-square-foot branch in the Zintel Canyon area of south Kennewick.
The city of Kennewick issued building permits in December valuing construction at $12.4 million.
The Kennewick branch is the first Tri-Cities location for the Chubbuck, Idaho-based credit union. It is entering the market after buyin properties in Kennewick, Pasco and Richland.
It previously made inroads into Eastern Washington with branches in Spokane, Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake.
The Richland branch will be at 3180 Duportail St. (permit pending) and the Pasco branch will be at 7406 Three Rivers Drive, at Road 68 (future project).
Lombard Conrad Architects designed the Kennewick branch. Chervenell Construction Co. is building it.
City of Kennewick greenhouse
36 N. Nutmeg
The city of Kennewick is building a $10 million greenhouse structure in support of its nearby sewage treatment plant.
Merrell Bros Inc. is the contractor for the project.
Vista Field FBO Demolition
The Port of Kennewick is demolishing the former FBO (fixed base operator) building at Vista Field.
The unused building had fallen into disrepair and is being removed as the port transforms the 103-acre former municipal airport into a mixed-use housing and retail development.
The FBO building was on the west side of the field, behind the city of Kennewick’s new fire station on West Grandridge Boulevard.
Panera restaurant
6821 W. Canal Drive
Work to convert a former Old Country Buffet into the Tri-Cities’ 2nd Panera Bread location continues near the Columbia Center area.
Demolition work was authorized in early 2024.
The latest news: The Panera team just secured permits to build the interior of the 3,800-square-foot restaurant that’s just a shell of a building now.
The work includes constructing the kitchen and restrooms, as well as customer counter, shelving and inside seating.
Hogback Development Co. is the property owner. Stephens & Sons Inc. is the contractor. The interior work is valued at about $800,000.
Quillan Place Senior Villas
2404 S. Quillan Place
A cluster of five buildings that will serve as a care facility for seniors is taking shape near Highway 395, in the Southridge area.
The site is near WindSong Memory Care and The Falls, a mixed-use apartment and commercial project that opens soon.
Quillan Place, also called Always Home, is expected to open by February and will offer 30 beds for seniors in need of assisted living.
Pasco
Tri-Cities Airport retail plaza
2915 N. 20th Ave.
A-1 Properties is preparing vacant land near Columbia Basin College for a retail complex with four buildings, and 16 spaces.
20th Avenue Plaza has a construction value of $4.6 million, according to a building permit issued by the city of Pasco.
A-1 bought the site from the city of Pasco in 2017 as part of its vision to create a gateway near the entrance to the Tri-Cities Airport.
A-1 previously constructed a Courtyard by Marriott hotel on the corner of North 20th and Argent. Its hospitality arm recently broke ground on its latest hotel venture, Home2 Suites, next to the Marriott.
20th Avenue Plaza will consist of four buildings with four spaces each. One will include a potential drive-thru for future tenants.
DraftCo Designs LLC designed the project. The building permit did not list a contractor yet.
The city sold the property opposite Columbia Basin College to A-1 in 2018 on the expectation it would build shops, restaurants and other visitor destinations.
A-1 is led by the father-son team of Vijay Patel and Taran Patel.
Richland
Psychiatric Medical Facility
1449 Spaulding Ave.
Reliance Health Systems, led by Kishore Varada and his daughter Veda Varada, is constructing a 16-bed psychiatric hospital for adults at its complex in the Richland Wye.
The $2 million project is being built on foundations laid more than a decade ago in anticipation of a project. Reliance expects to construct a juvenile facility on the same property in the future.
$20M Benton REA headquarters
Benton REA Admin Complex
2121 Cooeprative Way, West Richland.
Benton Rural Electric has initiated construction of its long-planned new headquarters.
The REA held ground breaking festivities in October. The city authorized a building permit for the $20 million project in late December.
Benton REA announced it would move its administrative center to West Richland from Prosser after it closed a deal for about 17 acres near the former Tri-City Raceway in December 2021.
The L-shaped building will consist of a building for administrative and operations, as well as a warehouse and garage.
Benton REA serves nearly 12,000 members and employs 73.
This story was originally published December 23, 2024 at 12:19 PM.
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