Foreclosure auction for Farmers Exchange in Kennewick didn’t go as planned. The latest
The future of Kennewick’s vacant Farmers Exchange complex is uncertain after a foreclosure auction set for Friday was postponed.
The property is now set to be sold to the highest bidder at 10 a.m., May 23, at the entrance to the Benton County Justice Center, 7122 W. Okanogan Place, in Kennewick.
A process server who announced the delay told the small crowed that gathered for the sale no reason would be given for the delay.
Farmers Exchange closed in 2024 and is being auctioned after the owners defaulted on a loan from Banner Bank.
A small crowd gathered at the original auction time to find out who might be interested in the collection of historic and industrial buildings at West Canal Drive and North Benton Street.
Something special
Stephanie Button, executive director of the Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership, said she’s worked for months to find a buyer who can bring activity back to the prominent site in the heart of Kennewick’s Central Business District.
The property offers nearly a full city block, quirky buildings packed with charm, historic significance and three-phase power, she said. It could be reinvented as a retail center, hospitality destination or even industrial arts studio for wood- and metal workers.
Button said she’s even reached out to McMenamins, the Portland venue operator known for converting old schools, fraternal lodges and institutional buildings into hotels, restaurants and visitor destinations.
She hasn’t connected, but believes Farmers Exchange could tempt McMenamins to expand into the Tri-Cities.
“We want to see something special,” she said outside the justice center. “We want to see it loved and honored and utilized.”
Storied history
The oldest building in the Farmers Exchange complex, at 215 W. Canal Drive, was added to the state and national Registers of Historic Places in April.
The Washington State Advisory Council on Historic Preservation voted unanimously to add the 1912-built structure in honor of its significant role in the early development of Kennewick as a hub for agriculture.
The property’s storied history includes multiple uses, including a school, a creamery and a cannery. It has been identified with Farmers Exchange since 1924, when Alfred Amon and Carl Williams established the business.
They sold it to Emerald Silliman in 1939 and through four generations of Silliman, Farmers Exchange was they place where Tri-Citians bought feed, lawnmowers, chainsaws, snow blowers, plants, garden supplies and, in the winter, fresh Christmas trees.
Banner Bank foreclosed on a loan totaling nearly $2.2 million after the owner failed to make payments. In April, it advertised that it would take nearly $364,000 to bring the account current.
Barring a private sale before the May 23 auction, the auction will seek to find a buyer for the buildings at 35 and 18 North Benton, and at 215 and 205 W. Canal. The property includes seven distinct parcels.
The Seattle law firm of Hacker & Willig is serving as trustee for the property, according to a notice posted on the property.
This story was originally published May 9, 2025 at 1:08 PM.