Richland is tearing down its old city hall. Here’s what’s next for that busy corner

Demolition crews wasted little time tearing into Richland’s original city hall once its former occupants departed for new digs nearby.

Soon, the structure will be gone and a prominent piece of Tri-City real estate on a busy corner will be up for grabs.

The city began marketing the nearly three-acre site more than a year ago. With the old city hall coming down fast, it will place the proverbial “For Sale” signs to advertise to prospective developers.

Richland is less interested in getting a big price for the property than getting the right mix of development that will bring people to the neighborhood throughout the day.

That could include dining, retail or other uses.

“We’re more concerned about the proposed use,” said Kerwin Jensen, development services director. “That’s an anchor corner for us.”

There isn’t a set schedule, but Jensen said it doesn’t want the process to drag on.

If a developer makes the right pitch, it could make a deal. If it receives several proposals, it could advertise it through a formal bid process.

The property is marketed as 1.5 to 2.88 acres, meaning it could be divided if necessary.

The site is across George Washington Way from the main fire station that stands between Swift Boulevard and the Columbia River.

The fire station property isn’t for sale, but it could be if the right proposal comes along.

Across the street, the former Dupus Boomer’s restaurant, which closed in December 2017, remains vacant. That property could also play a role in redevelopment of the neighborhood and the city’s vision of connecting downtown to the river at Swift Boulevard.

City hall turned to rubble

The old Richland city hall promises to have a presence in the central city for generations to come.

Leone & Keeble, the Spokane contractor that built the new city hall, contracted with Elder Demolition to tear down the old city hall as part of its $18.5 million contract with the city.

The metal and wood is being recycled, said Joe Schiessl, parks and public facilities director. Concrete will be crushed and packed into basement cavity to form the foundation for future buildings.

The city kept furniture in good condition and offered the rest to area nonprofits. Schiessl said the Richland Senior Association and United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties took up the offer.

WSU Master Gardeners harvested plants from the mature landscape and took cuttings.

Fixtures, including lights, fire department alarm boxes and the letters that spelled out “Richland City Hall” on the street-facing side of the building are in storage for future display. Crews found an original Hanford Engineering Works table and chairs that predate cityhood, and those are being restored.

Schiessl said no major surprises emerged during demolition of the newer end that was the city manager complex. The older, original city hall and could turn up unexpected developments.

Crews removed hazardous asbestos and lead paint from the building before demolition began.

Headquarters since 1958

The old city hall served as Richland’s municipal headquarters since incorporation in 1958, when the city emerged from its roots as a federally controlled zone attached to the Hanford site.

The complex grew to three buildings.

They served as useful examples of midcentury architecture, but had become functionally obsolete by the time the city moved to create a new city hall in 2016.

Its multiple levels made it difficult to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and utilities were embedded in the concrete walls, making it impossible to maintain leaky pipes.

The new city hall is 40,000 square feet and cost about $20 million to build at 625 Swift Ave., including the site that Richland purchased from the federal government.

This story was originally published June 9, 2019 at 3:36 PM.