The Tri-Cities’ fourth city reports a robust year of commercial development even as home construction cools.

The city issued 52% fewer building permits for single-family homes through August 2023, compared to the same period last year.

But city officials remain optimistic and so are the developers who have commercial construction projects underway.

The city of 17,840 residents grew 2.5% from 2022-23, adding 430 more people who call West Richland home.

Many of them likely bought homes in the sprawling Heights at Red Mountain Ranch, an Aho Construction development off Van Giesen Street. New home construction there is still underway, though the pace has slowed.

“We just issued them a handful of permits last month. So they keep going. It used to be we’d issue them a handful of permits a week and now it’s down to about the same amount per month,” said Eric Mendenhall, the city’s community development director, in mid-September.

Progress inches forward on the massive development proposed on the Lewis & Clark Ranch land, owned by Frank Tiegs LLC, generally located south of the Yakima River and north of Heights at Red Mountain.

The city is trying to determine the water availability and capacity needed to serve the future development, which could top out at 3,000 homes. It hopes to have an answer before the end of this year, so it can complete a draft environmental impact statement (EIS).

The EIS process provides opportunities for the public, local, state and federal agencies, and tribal governments to participate to help identify possible adverse environmental impacts, reasonable alternatives and possible mitigation.

Once this step is complete, “they can start subdividing and moving forward with the development,” Mendenhall said.

The Costco effect

Though Costco is considering Richland for a possible second Tri-Cities location, the city of West Richland is paying close attention.

“If it builds behind Target, then all of that whole area’s transportation network system is going to need to be upgraded,” Mendenhall said.

West Richland is in the midst of installing a new intersection with traffic signals after ripping out an aging traffic circle to reduce backups and delays at Bombing Range and Keene roads. The busy intersection handles traffic from the Queensgate retail area, Badger Mountain South and all the new development west of the city.

The city’s long-range plans also include putting a signal at Kennedy and Dallas roads, an intersection which is currently a four-way stop.

A home for Trader Joe’s?

Mendenhall said if Costco does open a store in Richland, it would be a good time for Trader Joe’s to consider West Richland for its next grocery store.

“Our demographic is the demographic they look for. We’ve got a lot of Ph.D.s in our community,” he said.

He thinks an ideal location would be across the street from the new HAPO Community Credit Union currently under construction at 6185 Keene Road.

“All the frontage improvements are completed and ready to go. I think that would be a great spot for it. When the new high school comes, you’ve got all that family traffic too,” he said.

Richland School District voters approved a capital levy in February 2023 which earmarks dollars to design a future high school on land behind the Teaching, Learning & Administration Center on Keene Road in West Richland. The school board has not yet decided to put a bond on the ballot to build the new school.

Development in this area on the west side of the city along Keene continues to hum along with the completion of a SunMarket gas station and convenience store and Firehouse Subs restaurant at 6255 Keene Road.

HAPO is building its new branch next door.

Dutch Bros bought property in the same neighborhood too, likely anticipating the opening the future high school, Mendenhall said.

Benton REA plans to build its new administration center on 18 acres near the new police station at Van Giesen and Keene.

“When Benton REA comes and they drop the facility out there, that’ll be another push on the needle. Because if they come and the school district comes, then I can see all sorts of restaurants popping up. And then even down the road seeing a hotel come in,” Mendenhall said.

New commercial buildings have sprung up near Yoke’s Fresh Market at Bombing Range Road and Paradise Way. The newly opened Croskrey Plaza, a $3.5 million development, is home to the city’s first urgent care clinic and a boba tea shop, plus a Papa John’s Pizza, dog grooming salon and jiu-jistu academy.

Across the street, construction is underway on a three-building development that will be home to Swigg Coffee Bar, a dentist’s office and taekwondo gym. The developers, Jeff and Julie Wenner, also hope to recruit a restaurant to their strip mall.