Minority homeownership is falling behind in Washington

More than 143,000 minority-led households would have to become homeowners to close the ownership gap between white and households that identify as Black, Indigenous and people of color, or BIPOC.

The 2021 Washington Legislature funded formation of the Washington State Homeownership Disparities Work Group to identify the causes and effects of racial inequities in homeownership.

The study, conducted with the Department of Commerce, found the homeownership rate for minority households is 19 percentage points below that of white households, or 49% versus 68%. Black homeownership is even lower, standing at 31% in 2019.

The disparities are pronounced across the state. In Benton County, 3,982 BIPOC households would have to buy homes to close the gap and in Franklin County, the number is 3,268.

“The cumulative impacts of generations of discriminatory and racist real estate policies and practices have had lasting negative effects on households of color and historically marginalized communities in ways that touch nearly every aspect of their lives,” the report concluded.

The report issued a series of recommendations to address the underlying causes of inequitable homeownership.

Suggestions include increasing state funding to support affordable homeownership programs, supporting nonprofit organizations that promote homeownership, providing resources to local government and revising the Housing Trust Fund and Housing Finance Commission programs to reduce the burden on funding applicants.

To learn more about BIPOC homeownership, go to bit.ly/MinorityHomeownership.

Pasco church added to state Heritage Register

Pasco’s Morning Star Baptist Church has been added to the Washington Heritage Register, a roster of more than 2,100 historic and culturally significant properties throughout the state.

The church at 631 S. Douglas Ave. also is nominated through The Black American Experience in Pasco for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the larger story of the discrimination Black workers faced when working in the area for the Manhattan Project and later as the community evolved beyond the original Hanford mission.

Read the application at bit.ly/PascoBlackAmericanExperience.

Longtime restaurant closes doors in West Richland

Henry’s Restaurant at 4806 Van Giesen St., West Richland, has closed.

The owners, Don and Nancy Karger, made the announcement on the restaurant’s Facebook page on Sept. 24, citing difficulties reaching terms for a new lease.

The couple plan to continue to operate their catering business.

Henry’s, which began serving the Tri-Cities 34 years ago in Richland, opened in Kennewick in 1992 and closed in 2002. The West Richland restaurant opened in 2008.

Over the years, the restaurant transitioned from a lunch-dinner eatery to a breakfast-lunch concept with catering.

“We cannot express our thanks to the Tri-City community for the support over these many years,” the owners said in their post.

Henry’s Restaurant auctioned off its equipment through Musser Bros. Auction.

Senske acquires Colorado lawn care company

Senske Services has acquired Green Mountain Lawn & Tree Care based in Commerce City, Colorado.

Kennewick-based Senske is a family-owned provider of lawn, tree, and pest control services throughout the western United States.

Founded in 1985 by Wade Grove, Green Mountain has provided lawn and tree care for nearly four decades.

This is the seventh acquisition completed by Senske Services in 2022, contributing to three years of record-breaking growth for the company.

Senske said it plans to increase merger and acquisition activity by targeting an expanding national footprint. “Our expansion and growth strategy focuses on acquiring companies with similar service lines and quality employees that can join our team,” said Senske’s Chief Operating Officer Tim Ehrhart.

Kennewick restaurant reopens after fire

The Double Dragon restaurant at 3107 W. Clearwater Ave. in Kennewick reopened after a fire shut it down for about nine months.

“We have missed all of our loyal customers,” Lisa Chen of Double Dragon wrote on the restaurant’s Facebook page to announce the reopening of dine-in and carry-out service on Sept. 15.

The Chinese restaurant did not have a fire suppression sprinkler system or a fire detection system, Kennewick fire officials said. On Dec. 7, 2021, two people in the area noticed fire coming from the vent on the restaurant’s roof and called 911. Fire crews arrived within 4 minutes of being dispatched and doused flames quickly, containing the blaze to the kitchen area.

Restaurant hours are 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Columbia Gardens adds a new food truck

Botanas Culichi will dish up botanas or “snacks” popular in Caliacåan, Mexico Wednesdays to Sundays at the Port of Kennewick’s Columbia Gardens Wine and Artisan Village, off East Columbia Drive near the cable bridge.

Botanas, which operates from noon-7 p.m., is owned by Silvia Aguilera and her daughter Brenda. It joins Boblastic Tri-Cities, Culture Shock Bistro, Swampy’s BBQ and Taste of Wok at the Food Truck Plaza, 325 E. Columbia Gardens Way.

Fast fashion jeweler opens at Columbia Center

Lovisa, which translates haute couture looks into accessible jewelry, has opened a store at Columbia Center mall in Kennewick.

Lovisa opened in a renovated spot between Cricket Wireless and Tresore Rare, across from Cinnabon and MyFroYo near the food court.

The space underwent a $225,000 remodel by Planit Construction USA and Apollo Sheet Metal, according to recent building permits.

The Australia-based retailer operates more than 600 stores in the Pacific Rim as well as Europe and the Middle East.

Go to Lovisa.com.

Dutch Bros under construction in West Richland

A Dutch Bros coffeeshop is under construction near Libby Middle School in West Richland.

The Oregon-based coffee chain bought a 1-acre parcel across from the city’s municipal services building in fall 2022.

City officials say it is expected to open in 2023.

The city decided to subdivide a 4-acre parcel it owned as there seemed to be more developer interest in the smaller size.

The long line of cars regularly queuing up at Libby to pick up or drop off students likely are target customers.

Nordstrom Rack is coming to Yakima Valley

Nordstrom Inc. will open a Nordstrom Rack, its discount arm, at Valley Mall in Union Gap.

The 28,000-square-foot store will be the only Nordstrom-branded location in the region.

Seattle-based Nordstrom said it would open Rack locations in Olympia, and in Salem, Oregon, too. At Union Gap, Nordstrom Rack will be a neighbor to Cabela’s, Bath & Body Works and to Guitar Center.

With the new stores, Nordstrom will operate 12 Nordstrom Rack stores and six Nordstrom stores in Washington and seven Nordstrom Rack stores and two Nordstrom stores in Oregon.