Exclusive look: Richland’s newest luxury apartments come with a view
In a few weeks, the doors will open to Richland’s newest riverside luxury apartments.
Park Place Apartments along one of the most picturesque Tri-Cities parks has been years in the making.
The land that sits beneath the $20 million project at 650 George Washington Way had been an eyesore for decades.
Once referred to as “the pit,” the property near the gateway of the city was a leftover byproduct of a previous failed development.
In the blight’s place, the four-story complex now overlooks Howard Amon Park and the Columbia River to the east and the hills, the city and Rattlesnake Mountain to the west.
They offer a new housing option in the Tri-Cities, where the rental market is exceptionally tight with a 1.3% vacancy rate.
And despite the hefty prices, already 40 percent of the apartments are spoken for, the complex’s leasing agent Ana Villa told the Herald.
To years ago this month, the city of Richland finalized the $836,000 land sale to Chicago-based The Crown Group.
Plans had been in the works for several years before that. Scenarios for the 2-plus acre site went through multiple iterations, including a possible Tri-Cities public market, before a combination retail-residential plan was settled on.
The only steps that remain before residents can move in are the city’s final inspections and a certificate of occupancy.
The official Richland approval could come as soon as April 1, but more realistically it will be by the end of April, said Villa.
The 102 upscale units are targeted for the professionals who work at the federal building, in Richland city government, the Kadlec Regional Medical Center complex and related medical offices.
In addition, nearly 6,600 square feet of retail space is available for storefronts along bustling George Washington Way.
And the popular restaurant Graze already has signed a lease for one of the spaces.
The proximity to another retail area, The Richland Parkway, with restaurants, bars and shops within a couple blocks has been another selling point of the complex.
Inside the units, quartz counter tops, smart locks, Wi-Fi and cable are included in the lease price.
Those who snapped up the east-facing units can sit on small private decks and soak in the sights of the river and park.
The horseshoe-shaped complex surrounds a pool, hot tub and outdoor lounge. Electric car charging stations also were installed.
During winter, the underground parking garage means no shoveling snow off cars.
While all 18 of the two-bedroom units have been reserved, Park Place has a waiting list.
Those units are primarily at the corners of the four floors and are about 1,000 square feet. They rent for $1,700 to $2,000 a month.
One bedroom units still are available. The 72 units are three sizes, starting at 700 square feet and with rents just under $1,400.
A dozen studio apartments with nearly 500 square feet start at $1,250. And parking is $125 a month for the garage or $35 for a carport.
The average one-bedroom apartment in Benton and Franklin counties rents for about $1,000 a month, according to the Fall 2020 Apartment Market Report by the University of Washington’s Runstad Department of Real Estate.
The Park Place complex received the National Green Building Standard Gold designation — a third-party rating system on eco-friendly building practices.
Ratings can be bronze, silver, gold or emerald. A score is based on elements such as water and energy efficiency as well as air quality and lot development.
Park Place Apartments is the first residential complex in the Tri-Cities to receive a gold rating.