An expanded Verizon Wireless store is under construction at Columbia Center mall in Kennewick.

The cellphone store is expanding into 1,400 square feet that will encompass the former Starbucks shop inside suite 802 to create more space for suite 805.

Starbucks moved to a kiosk in front of the mall’s food court last fall.

The expanded Verizon store is tentatively scheduled to open in August. The shop at Columbia Center is a new prototype called “next gen” and is the third of its kind in Washington. The first opened at Northgate Mall in November 2016, and another opened at Bellis Fair in Bellingham last month.

The Kennewick store’s construction is being done in two phases.

First, the company is renovating the space next to its existing location. It is expected this first phase will be complete by the end of June. Verizon will renovate the original space during the second phase and expects to complete that project later this summer.

The contractor for the project is Scheiner Commercial Group and Magnum Electric is the electrical contractor. More than $380,000 in tenant improvements are planned, according to public building records.

An authorized Verizon retailer, A Wireless, independently operates the store.

The expanded Verizon Wireless store will continue to offer smartphones, tablets, accessories and support services, but also will carry more products customers have been asking for, said Verizon Wireless officials.

The store will offer a whole suite of business products and services such as the 4G LTE network, mobile broadband, international voice and data services, mobile email, and push to talk. Verizon Wireless carries Apple, ASUS, BlackBerry, Droid, Google, HTC, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, and Samsung brands.

A grand opening will be scheduled after the second phase is complete.