Longtime Richland Red Cross blood center closing after 25 years

After 25 years the Red Cross will be closing its Richland blood donation center to move its only Tri-Cities’ fixed-site collection center to west Kennewick.

In the interest of efficiency and effectiveness, it plans to consolidate blood and blood production collections in the same building that houses its other Tri-Cities area programs, including first aid and disaster preparedness, said Betsy Robertson, Red Cross spokesperson for the Northwest Region..

All services will be based at its Kennewick building at 7202 W. Deschutes Ave., Kennewick, possibly starting as soon as mid September.

The Red Cross lease is up at its blood donor center at 447 Wellsian Way in Richland, which provides an opportunity to make changes, said Michele Roth, executive director for Central and Southeast Washington.

A building permit was approved by the city of Kennewick for an interior renovation and a small addition to its building on the corner of West Deschutes Avenue and Young Street.

The work on the 6,163-square-foot project is valued at about $100,000, according to the building permit.

The Kennewick building has been gutted and is being completely updated to allow blood and platelet collections there, according to the Red Cross.

Its capacity for blood and related donations will be about the same as at the current Richland center, with the same services offered.

With construction on the building continuing, an opening date for the blood and platelet collection center in Kennewick has not been set, but the Red Cross is targeting a soft opening at its Kennewick building in mid September. That would be followed by a grand opening in October.

Some donors with collections already scheduled in the fall at the Richland center have been notified that their appointments have been moved to the Kennewick building. And some September appointments for donations already are being made at the Kennewick building.

Go to redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or to see the additional mobile blood drives scheduled around the Tri-Cities area at businesses and organizations.

The Red Cross is investing in 100 new blood collection sites across the country by 2030 as it works to build a more diverse network of donors and interest more young people in donating, Robertson said.

People who donate blood when they are young have a greater change of becoming lifelong donors, she said.

This story was originally published August 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM.