LaCoste Law, a woman-led family law firm, has broken ground on its new Kennewick offices.

The firm, led by Jennifer LaCoste, is building a two-story, 8,700-square-foot office with space for its growing practice and a second suite available for rent.

LaCoste bought the property at 2062 N. Steptoe St. near the intersection with Gage Boulevard in early 2020 and disclosed plans for the project that fall.

It has taken longer than expected to clear various hurdles and start construction. In January, the city of Kennewick issued permits. LaCoste and her team expected to break ground by the end of the month, with construction to wrap by the end of the year.

LaCoste will occupy 4,900 square feet. A second 3,800-square-foot suite is available.

James Wade and Scott Howell, commercial brokers with SVN Retter & Co., are representing it to prospective tenants, noting it will be a rare Class A space with good parking and a central location.

LaCoste dedicated the $1.9 million project to the memory of her late grandmother, Roberta LaCoste, a prominent educator and tireless supporter who encouraged her as she progressed through high school in Seattle (Garfield), college (Carnegie Mellon University) and then law school (Gonzaga).

Her grandmother, she said, always told her she could do anything she wanted if she worked hard and followed the Golden Rule – treating others with kindness. She wears a heart-shaped locket in her grandmother’s honor and said she wants LaCoste’s future home to exemplify the human connection.

“My heart is in my work,” she said.

That meant taking time to sort through various pandemic-related challenges, including supply chain disruptions and material costs that affected the final price. More important, the property borders a residential neighborhood on one side and businesses on another.

LaCoste said she wanted to be a good neighbor to the nearby residents, but to position her office to be part of the growing business district at the intersection of Steptoe and Gage. The solution: She will build a wall to buffer the office building from the houses.

LaCoste formed her own firm in 2019. Her team includes two administrators and three paralegals. She hopes to expand when it moves from its leased offices on West Court Street in Pasco to the larger space.

LaCoste said the location spoke to her the first time she spotted the bare land. She knew she eventually wanted to relocate to Benton County. The property is not far from the Benton County Justice Center and to the Highway 240-Steptoe-Columbia Park Tail interchange, she said.

The office will have a driveway with left turn lanes onto Steptoe Street. Neighbors include a mix of office complexes, restaurants, a medical clinic, drug store, Gesa Credit Union, McDonald’s, Moonshot Brewing and a health club, among others.

The building team includes DKEI Architecture Services of Richland, Knutzen Engineering of Kennewick and Hummel Construction.

Office space is offered at $28 per square foot on a triple-net basis.