Innovative waterfront apartments listed for sale

Vertisee Heights, a small loft-style apartment complex near the Richland Wye, has been put on the market by the former Tri-City Fever duo who built it.

Lionell Singleton and Houston Lilliard formed World Builder Inc. to develop the 24-unit complex in the 1156 block of Columbia Park Trail, where it represents new investment in a neglected stretch nestled behind a levee at the Yakima River Delta.

The asking price is $7.6 million, or $316,667 per unit, which represents a capitalization rate of 5.2%. Cap rates are the return investors can expect based on the price and are akin to the interest rates paid for savings accounts.

World Builder and its contractor, Elite Construction, began construction in late 2020 and began leasing units earlier this year.

The project is marketed as stabilized, which means it is fully leased.

Mason Fiascone of Paragon Group is the listing agent. Call 509-221-9354.

Pasco plans Gesa Stadium updates

The city of Pasco is preparing to remodel Gesa Stadium to improve facilities for both home and visiting teams.

The project will include remodeling both clubhouses and expanding locker rooms.

The city advertised for contractors in late October.

Architect Brandon Wilm of Design West Architects is overseeing the project, which is expected to include about 110 days of construction.

Contractor digging into fabled McDougall’s

The former R.F. McDougall’s Irish Pub & Eatery is being renovated for Fable, a new restaurant offering from Bookwalter Winery.

Owner John Bookwalter confirmed in April the plans to open Fable at the closed building near the Richland Wye.

Hummel Construction and Development secured a permit to remodel the restaurant from the city of Richland in October. The work is valued at $250,000.

When Fable opens, it will serve as a casual dining outlet, which will allow Bookwalter’s Fiction restaurant to focus on best-in-class service. Bookwalter said he wants Fiction to be worthy of being nominated for the industry’s coveted James Beard awards, issued by the James Beard Foundation in honor of the late Portland-born icon.

The property is at 1705 Columbia Park Trail, near the intersection of Columbia Center Boulevard.

Numerica says Pasco branch will move in 2023

Numerica Credit Union will move its Pasco branch to 2307 W. Court St. by summer 2023.

The credit union paid $940,000 for the former Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor in May 2021. It already demolished the ice cream shop and has begun building a new branch to replace its Sylvester Street office.

Numerica said the larger branch will help keep up with growth. Tri-City membership has grown 78% in five years, it said.

The Pasco branch will offer full-service ATMs and staff who speak Spanish and English.

Numerica is based in Spokane Valley and operates 21 branches in Central and Eastern Washington, including six in the Tri-Cities.

Aristo receives $2.7 million grant for Kennewick project

Aristo Healthcare has secured a $2.7 million grant to support development of a 16-bed facility it intends to open in Kennewick.

The Washington Department of Commerce awarded the grant under a five-year plan to modernize and transform mental health services in Washington and to reduce reliance on the state’s two large hospitals in favor of smaller, community-based ones.

Seattle-based Aristo intends to secure a site by early 2023 and begin construction of its Tri-City Nueva Esperanza project by summer. It will open in mid-2024.

The Kennewick facility will house individuals with behavioral health conditions who are being held under 90- or 180-day civil commitment orders.

Little Badger Mountain trail construction starts in 2023

 Friends of Badger Mountain will begin trail construction on Little Badger Mountain in early 2023 after reaching a key fundraising goal.

The nonprofit reports it raised more than $3 million to establish Little Badger Mountain Preserve, which will add three miles of new trail to its existing network.

The trail will extend from the east end of Badger Mountain Preserve to the junction of Rachel and Morency drives in south Richland.

Friends of Badger Mountain and the city of Richland will begin building the technically challenging trail in the spring.

Volunteers can sign up to help maintain existing trails at [email protected] or go to friendsofbadger.org.

Capitol building named for Newhouse being replaced

 A “temporary” building on the Capitol Campus in Olympia will be demolished and replaced starting in mid-2023.

The Irving R. Newhouse building was constructed in 1934 as a temporary structure and was named for the late Irving Newhouse, a farmer and longtime lawmaker who was the father of U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside.

Ginny Streeter, spokeswoman for the Legislative Campus Modernization Project, said the building will keep its name.

The state identified the need to replace it in the 2017 State Capitol Development Study. Design and development began in June. Miller Hull Partnership created schematics for the new building, which will be constructed by Hoffman Construction Co.

Demolition of Press House structures and Visitor Center begin this fall. The building itself will be demolished starting in July. The new building should be complete by 2025. 

Irving Newhouse was a farmer who served in the state House of Representatives from 1965-80 and in the state Senate from 1980-99. He was succeeded in the state Senate by Jim Honeyford, who is retiring from the post at the end of the year. Newhouse died in 2001.

Chipotle opens first Pasco restaurant

Chipotle Mexican Grill opened its first Pasco location and fourth for the Tri-Cities on Nov. 2.

The fast-Mexican restaurant is at 5326 N. Road 68 and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The store features a “Chipotlane,” which allows customers to pick up digital orders without entering the building.

The chain has existing locations at 3631 Plaza Way, Kennewick, 1102 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick, and 2673 Queensgate Drive, Richland.

For job information, go to chipotle.com/careers.

Prosser Memorial secures key permit for new hospital

Prosser Memorial Hospital has received a key permit as it moves to build a new hospital.

The city issued a foundation permit, which allows the hospital to begin forming the foundation. A future permit will be needed to build the two-story project with parking garage.

Site prep is underway. The $78 million hospital is being developed on 33 acres north of Interstate 82. It will replace the aging hospital at 723 Memorial St. and is expected to open in 2024.

A $57.5 million U.S. Department of Agriculture loan is helping fund the project, with the balancing coming from the hospital as well as $2 million from its foundation.