Spring in the Tri-Cities is when commercial construction really starts rolling, and this year is no exception — especially at the Queensgate commercial area in Richland.

In March, the City of Richland issued building permits building permits on three new commercial projects at the popular, fast-growing commercial center in south Richland.

A 27,000-sq.-ft. Ross Dress for Less is under construction at 2917 Queensgate Drive.

Construction on a new car wash will start this month at 2544 Queensgate Drive, between Fujiyama’s and the retail strip center that houses Subway.

And work is underway on a new 60,000-sq.-ft., four-story Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel.

Vandervert Construction is the general contractor on the new Ross Dress for Less retail store that is being built in Vintner Square, adjacent to the Marshall’s department store, which opened last year.

Rick Simon, development services manager for the City of Richland, said the new Ross Dress for Less will be 27,020 sq. ft. The construction value of the project is $2.36 million.

Browman Development Co. in Walnut Creek, Calif. is the developer of the Vintner Square shopping center, which is anchored by Target.

The new Ross Dress for Less should open by October.

Ross Stores Inc. is based in Dublin, Calif. It is the largest off-price apparel and home fashion chain in the U.S., with 1,274 locations in 34 states. The company reported revenues of $11.9 billion in 2015.

This new Ross location will be the second in the Tri-Cities. The other store is at 6705 W. Canal Drive in Kennewick. It has 40 stores in Washington.

Construction has also started on a hotel project first announced more than a year ago.

The Utah-based Western States Lodging has broke ground on a 68,800-sq.-ft., four-story Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel at 2861 Lincoln Landing.

It will be the third Home2 Suites by Hilton in Washington — there is one near Sea-Tac Airport and one near the Bellingham Airport.

Gary Griffiths of Western States Lodging said the Lincoln Landing location, between Home Depot and Interstate I-182, has great visibility and good access from both Duportail and Keene roads.

Rimrock Construction, based in Draper Utah, is the general contractor on the $9 million construction project.

The Home2 Suites by Hilton is a new extended stay brand for Hilton, with just 97 locations currently operating.

Home2 Suites is an all-suite hotel designed for the economically-minded traveler. It offers flexible room configurations, both studio and one-bedroom units available, and about 4,000 square feet of community space.

The hotels are wood-framed and built on a footprint of less than two acres. They are cost-effective to build and operate and construction on the average hotel takes less than a year.

The suites offer full kitchens, a full-size sofa/sleeper, 42-in.-flat screen televisions and more.

The hotels have indoor pools, an around-the-clock market where guests can purchase food, drinks and toiletries, free breakfast, free wi-fi, recycling stations, an outdoor lounge area with fire pits and even grills on the patio area for guest use.

All hotels are pet-friendly.

Simon said several other commercial projects are in the works in the Queensgate area that will likely be announced later this spring.

The commercial growth in the Queensgate area is good news for the city, he said, adding value to its property tax revenues and also providing essential retail sales tax revenue that can be used for city projects.