$48M VA clinic for Tri-Cities clears key WA hurdle. What’s next?
A new Veterans Administration clinic in Kennewick is one step closer to breaking ground after the project cleared a key development hurdle.
The city of Kennewick determined the project will not have a significant environmental impact, according to a determination issued June 16 under the State Environmental Policy act or SEPA.
The 124,000-square-foot clinic will be built at 3811 Plaza Way, a vacant 11.8-acre site near Highway 95 and the Ridgeline Drive underpass in the Southridge area.
The city is reviewing a site plan on the project.
The clinic will be 10 times larger than the current Richland clinic.
The outpatient facility will increase the number of services the federal agency offers to military veterans.
There were nearly 15,000 veterans living in Benton and Franklin counties in 2024, according to Benton-Franklin Trends. An estimated 46,000 live within a 75-mile radius of the Tri-Cities, according to state estimates.
Local veterans often travel to VA clinics in Seattle and Walla Walla for services that aren’t currently available here.
Ryan Companies US Inc., the same developer that built warehouses for Amazon Inc. in east Pasco, is building the clinic.
Planning documents indicate the clinic will include a 124,000-square-foot building with 672 parking spots.
It will be up to 32 feet in height, or about three stories.
Kennewick building records list a project value of $35 million, though the total budget is expected to be more than $48 million.
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee authorized funding for the new clinic in the Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022, with advocacy from the Washington congressional delegation.
When bids came in higher than expected, Congress increased authorization and the project was announced by Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside.
This story was originally published June 23, 2026 at 12:52 PM.