Kennewick OKs $71M convention center expansion for more events, concerts and sports
A public-private partnership to expand the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick will cost about $71 million, allowing larger conferences, sporting events and music festivals to essentially double event attendance.
Kennewick City Council this week approved a total cost for the project, with demolition and construction set to begin in March following the Tri-City Americans hockey season.
The expansion — more than a decade in the making — will add 115,000 square feet of new convention space.
Once complete in fall 2026, the new space will annually attract 200,000 attendees and fill 71,000 room nights.
It’ll also generate an additional $4 million in sales and lodging tax revenues, $16 million in increased earnings, an additional 620 jobs and another $82 million in indirect spending.
The expansion will be paid for with $50 million in government bonds, $14 million in capital and lodging tax reserves, and $7 million in rural county capital funds.
The city previously contributed $8 million in expansion startup costs to the Kennewick Public Facilities District, which is responsible for Three Rivers’ design, construction and operation. The PFD will close on the sale of 30-year bonds, backed by the city, sometime next month.
The city also recently asked lawmakers in Olympia to help pay for part of the expansion through the state’s capital budget, although it didn’t include a specific amount.
Kennewick taxpayers will not see a tax increase for the project.
A presentation from facilities district leaders to the city council on Tuesday shows plans to expand the convention center, as well as construct a new attached hotel and outdoor plaza and walkways between the center and nearby Toyota Center.
The project calls for additional parking, and new retail will also be built nearby at a future date. The new facility will also be able to host sporting events and tournaments, including basketball, volleyball, wrestling, pickleball and indoor soccer.
Mayor Gretl Crawford lauded the investments being made in the area, especially with new business opportunities taking off at nearby Vista Fields urban town center.
“I think in 5 to 6 years that whole area is going to be a pretty exciting place to be,” she said.
The $71.3 million price tag includes $61.6 million for construction, $4.4 million for design services and $5.3 million in professional services, furniture, fixtures, equipment and other development costs.
Any cost overruns will fall on the contractor’s burden, while potential savings will be shared between the parties.
This story was originally published February 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
