Dirt is being moved and buildings are being renovated in all corners of Kennewick.

In the Southridge area, work is expected to begin soon on a planned VA medical center across from Trios Southridge Hospital.

There’s no question the city is the undisputed retail center of the Tri-Cities and development in the city’s core runs the gamut. Columbia Center has retail and restaurant spaces being renovated for highly-anticipated tenants. Meanwhile, an AC Marriott hotel and convention center expansion are nearing completion near Vista Field with more projects expected.

The city’s downtown is on the cusp of revitalization as city council members move closer to a decision on a new City Hall, which is expected to be accompanied by a new municipal pool or aquatic center.

Undeveloped pockets of land throughout the city are being transformed into housing projects ranging from townhomes to apartments with an eye toward affordability.

The scope of that activity – spanning healthcare, retail, housing and civic infrastructure – reflects a city trying to keep pace with a population that keeps climbing.

Residential growth

Like the rest of the Tri-Cities, Kennewick continues to see its population swell. The city’s population hit 89,220 residents in 2026, which is almost 1,500 more people, or just under 2% growth, over last year and keeps Kennewick as the most populous of the Tri-City area’s municipalities.

Despite that growth, residential construction activity remained relatively flat through the first eight months of 2026 compared to the prior year. By the end of August 2026, 216 permits were issued for single-family homes, which is 21 fewer compared to the same time in 2025. A single duplex permit was issued and only three for multifamily projects.

Anthony Muai, the city’s community planning director, said the city is seeing lots of small infill projects, where empty single lots are turned into smaller housing developments or projects. Canal Landing near Volland Avenue and Canal Drive, and Peach Farm on Tenth Avenue represent some of the larger examples of those projects, though each is on a couple of acres apiece.

With affordable housing now a required element for cities’ comprehensive planning, Muai said city officials are working toward encouraging as many housing options as possible.

“We are planning not just for the number of units but across income levels,” he said.

Take 5 Oil Change is building a 1,544-square-foot oil change station at 151 Ely St. in Kennewick, in the parking lotfacing CVS Pharmacy and REI.

| Photo by Nathan Finke

Southridge unlocked

A lot of residential property is being developed in the Southridge area, such as the Havenridge Apartments on the east side of Highway 395 and single-family homes on the flanks of Thompson Hill. Muai credits the completion of Bob Olson Parkway as unlocking the growth in the area.

But one major project years in the making has everyone’s eyes on the area: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in April selected 12 acres at 3811 Plaza Way to be the site of a future community-based outpatient clinic.

Muai said the city is currently reviewing initial building permits for the project, which was initially reported to be an 85,000-square foot building with 700 parking spaces. Ryan Companies US Inc., the VA’s builder, has a goal to have the structure’s foundation in the ground before winter, with construction continuing in the spring.

“They’re moving very quickly,” Muai said.

Columbia Center

Announcements of new retailers and other projects launched in Columbia Center area also have come over the past year.

The Habit Burger opened its second Tri-Cities location near the intersection of Columbia Center Boulevard and Canal Drive in May. In the same development, work is underway to transform part of the building previously occupied by discount retailer Burlington into the Tri-Cities’ first long-awaited Nordstrom Rack, scheduled to open in November.

Across Columbia Center Boulevard at Columbia Center mall, several new and returning retailers have moved in, such as British sportswear shop JD Sports and the reborn Toys R Us. But the biggest new tenant at the mall will be the national entertainment venue Dave & Buster’s, which is currently renovating part of the space previously occupied by Joann, which went out of business following bankruptcy.

At nearby Vista Field, the expanded Three Rivers Convention Center in December will host its first event since adding 110,000 square feet as part of a $75.2 million project. It will soon be joined by the new AC Hotel by Marriott from A-1 Hospitality. The five-story building, which will have a restaurant and rooftop bar on the top floor, will be more than 118,000 square feet and has a price tag of $38 million.

“We’re excited for a great gathering place for local community members to come out, gather, relax, unwind,” said Taran Patel, A-1’s managing principal, at the hotel’s groundbreaking in May 2025.

Other projects are scattered throughout the area, including a new trampoline park, new Holiday Inn Express hotel and the Tri-Cities’ first Burgerville fast-food restaurant, which took the location formerly occupied by Sonic Drive-In.

The boom in development has prompted the city to conduct widening and other improvements of Columbia Center Boulevard in recent years. Muai said the city recently hosted visits from federal lawmakers to showcase the need for additional congressional support, specifically to widen the section between Deschutes and Quinault avenues.

A Holiday Inn Express is under construction at 7715 W. Quinault Ave. in Kennewick, across the street from Columbia Center mall.

| Photo by Nathan Finke

Downtown activity

The future of Kennewick’s civic center has dominated much of the city council’s time in recent months.

The current City Hall was built about 60 years ago and is a top priority for replacement by the city. City staffing has reached a point where workers are running out of room in the building, along with needed storage space for files and equipment. The building also has millions of dollars in needed repairs.

Council members heard from the team of architects and engineers contracted to study the options for either renovating the current building or constructing a new municipal hub. That led to controversy as some proposed scenarios involved building atop the neighboring Museum at Keewaydin, though the most recent proposal will leave that building intact.

Muai said next steps are have the city seek requests for proposals as part of a progressive design-build process. That would allow the city to hire a single firm to design and build the new facility.

That won’t be the only building included in the project. Muai said current plans involve coordinating the new City Hall project with one for a new municipal pool or aquatic center to replace or augment the nearby Kenneth Serier Memorial Pool.

And one other major civic project is also in the works. The city plans to build a $33 million water treatment facility in eastern Columbia Park after detecting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, above Washington state action levels over the last three years. Muai said the city is currently seeking federal funding to supplement the $15 million in state dollars it has received for the project.