An Oregon company that builds and operates residential facilities for seniors broke ground in May on Riverwalk Estates, a 149-unit, $40 million facility that will provide assisted and independent units near Canyon Lakes.

Salem-based Hawthorn Construction Group is building the four-story facility off Highway 395 at 4704 W. Hildebrand Blvd., behind Dugout Sports Bar and a branch of STCU credit union.

Construction will take 24 months. Hawthorn Senior Living, the construction company’s Vancouver, Washington-based sister, will operate it once it opens to residents, said Sai Dasari, Hawthorn’s on-site construction manager.

The building will offer individual units, private garages, a commercial kitchen and recreational amenities such as a movie theater, bocce ball court and more.

The building is on the north side of the property to maximize the distance between it and the single-family homes on Williams Street in Canyon Lakes, which borders it to the south. The exterior will feature a mix of stone, Hardie siding and wood-like feature elements, according to planning documents.

Lenity Architecture Inc. of Salem, Oregon, is the designer. Knutzen Engineering of Kennewick is the engineer.

Hawthorn has a national profile and is an active builder with projects across the country. It has seven in development with locations spread across the east and west coasts. A spokesperson said it was attracted by robust growth in the Tri-Cities.

Hawthorn paid $2.75 million for the 7.74-acre property in a deal that closed Aug. 4, 2021. It owns the property under the name Kennewick Retirement Residence LLC, according to Benton County property records.

The senior living facility will occupy about six acres.

Hawthorn Retirement Group was acquired by Columbia Pacific Advisors in 2017. The Seattle-based investment firm has a focus on senior housing. At the time, Columbia said it was impressed by the strength of Hawthorn’s operations and its “substantial pipeline” of projects.