The drive through central Richland will look a lot different by the end of winter 2026 as the city intends to convert a large portion of George Washington Way into northbound-only lanes, running parallel to new dedicated southbound lanes on Jadwin Avenue.

At the start of 2026, Richland will begin requesting bids on the massive project that will alter its downtown flow, hoping to award the contract quickly and start construction immediately.

“It’ll go to one-way right away,” said Mandy Wallner, economic development director for the city of Richland. “I don’t think there will be a transition. There’s some kind of psychology around that and then the other changes will be phased in over time.”

Wallner said the improvements will make way for “a better, more vibrant pedestrian experience, and that’s really the key. That experience part is what we’re looking for – to make it more walkable and enjoyable for all modalities and hopefully allow for some on-the-street eateries. The idea is to create an inviting experience with people stopping on their way home and enjoying something downtown.” 

The $22.7 million project, set for completion in 2027, will introduce dedicated bike lanes, expanded sidewalks, trees, lighting and seasonal signage to create a more walkable environment. 

Alongside this reconfiguration, the city also is navigating broader growth – from new housing in Badger Mountain South and commercial developments near the new Costco to infrastructure improvements and retail recruitment efforts across town. 

Downtown loop

The new downtown loop along George Washington Way will begin at the south end of The Parkway near the Richland Players Theater and continue north to Symons Street, traversing the length of the Uptown Shopping Center before looping drivers south on Jadwin and ending back at the curved part of the road where Jadwin directs drivers back onto George Washington Way along a grassy lot, kitty-corner from the sandwich shop Graze.

Owner John Lastoskie noted there have been two serious accidents at that intersection in the four years since Graze opened so he’s in favor of improvements for public safety but doesn’t expect it to change his business model unless it reduces traffic volumes.

“It’s a really high traffic count right now, around 40,000 to 50,000 cars, so if it dropped to, say, 28,000, that’s definitely going to impact the businesses along there,” he said.

Graze already has outdoor seating and Lastoskie doesn’t expect to relocate it to be closer to the road. “On-street dining sounds insane to me on George Washington Way,” he said. “I don’t know what positive there would be for the diner or the restaurant in that scenario. To each their own I guess.”

He did wonder if it might make businesses “out of sight, out of mind” for commuters heading south during the evening rush who will no longer pass by his restaurant or the fast-food offerings a little further north. For the city, the final vision isn’t complete.

“Design is currently at 60%, and so what that means is, we haven’t really gotten to what street treatments look like,” Wallner said. “We have the alignment and the infrastructure identified, but not really all the rest of it. As we move from 60% to 100%, that’s when you start getting community engagement.”

Wallner expects there will be less community engagement than before, since the city already discussed the project with the public five years ago. “There’s still more opportunities to plug in or check out what those things will be because we did take advice from that original outreach,” she said.

Richland enlisted a marketing and messaging firm and is encouraging people to check out thedowntownloop.com as the main resource for information, timelines, interactive maps and videos. When finished in fall 2027, expect a third lane of travel in both directions, wider sidewalks, separated bike lanes and more on-street parking.

“The road will be open the entire time because you’re never going to divert all the traffic,” Wallner said. “During different phases, it’ll be maybe ‘close this lane and this lane.’ There will be restrictions, but it won’t ever be closed entirely, unless possibly in the middle of the night.”

Badger Mountain South

Traffic changes are also underway at Badger Mountain South, where a roundabout will control traffic at Dallas Road and Ava Way. The area is welcoming a large senior housing development and a future Taco Bell restaurant, the first national chain to locate in this part of town.

Wallner also expects to see a coffee shop, doctor’s office and other restaurants along with additional commercial development.

More homes are planned in Badger Mountain South, with 222 single-family home permits issued through the end of August 2025 in Richland, a value of $87 million. This outpaces comparable building for this same period a year ago, which saw 155 permits valued at $20 million less.

Residential growth citywide

Multifamily home permits are through the roof compared to 2023 and 2024, with Richland issuing 21 permits in 2025, up from three from the same period the year before. The per-permit value is far less though, totaling $55 million overall compared to $30 million in 2024.

The city, population 64,930, grew 1.2% in the past year.

Commercial building overall is down in 2025 compared to last year, with just over 100 permits issued for both new buildings and tenant improvements through August 2025, valued at over $31 million. This was a similar value for new commercial construction in 2024, but across all commercial and residential construction, 2025 is pacing well for Richland. Through August 2025, the city issued 1,350 permits valued at $195 million, an increase of more than 100 permits over last year and an increased value of more than $20 million. The numbers still aren’t back to the 2019-21 days when the city averaged more than 1,600 permits yearly.

Pavement contractors work on resurfacing Stevens Drive in Richland in summer 2025

| Photo by Scott Butner Photography

Costco traffic

One of Richland’s most high-profile commercial projects is Costco, which opened in August 2025. To accommodate increased traffic, the city plans to add two roundabouts along Duportail Street, but Wallner said the volume of cars hasn’t quite hit the threshold needed to start planning that work.

“We’re about 60% of the way to what we need to justify that improvement. If we go out and build it before it’s needed, it’s just an investment we could have used public dollars for somewhere else,” Wallner said.

Improvements based on growth aren’t always funded by federal grants. Richland follows a 20-year plan for construction projects related to traffic. Developers must pay a traffic impact fee as part of the permitting process to pay for them.

“The money generated from Costco will now pay them back because they built Queensgate, and then also portions of that will go toward those roundabouts that are needed,” Wallner said.

While it was a boon for the city to get the mega-retailer to open in town, it’s not the major revenue source one might expect.

“They’re leasing property, so we only get a portion of the leasehold excise tax. There is no property tax because it’s leased from a public agency and only 40% of their sales are taxable because it’s all food,” Wallner said. “Yes, food generates a lot of money but so do all the other things people order, and they have a distribution center. There are some benefits in that way, but it’s not as robust as you would think. It’s more on volume versus dollars.”

Costco’s lease is held by the state Department of Natural Resources, which still owns about 25 acres at Queensgate that will fill in over time, mostly with homes, along with some parcels Costco will sublease. AutoZone has plans to open near Les Schwab and there are rumors a second Chick-fil-A franchise could open in the area.

New developments

Just in time for the holidays, Richland will see a Five Below in the storefront once occupied by Party City, which closed after filing for bankruptcy. Wallner said Five Below bought seven Washington state leases held by Party City. The store will make its Tri-City debut in Richland, one of many national brands looking to break into the area.

“We have a retail recruitment firm that reaches out, and sometimes they’re like, ‘Yeah, we’d love to be in the Tri-Cities. We just have fresh ingredients,’ so they need distribution and we’re working on what those would look like.”

Wallner said she has a running list of about half-a-dozen places that would like to set up here but need a franchisee to spearhead the effort, including Slim Chickens, Rusty Taco and Wienerschnitzel.

“What’s attractive about our market is that you come here and you get three locations,” she said, referring to the likelihood a store or restaurant, especially quick-service, could set up in Kennewick and Pasco also.

The city conducts outreach at events like National Night Out to ask people what spots they’d like to see in Richland.

“Obviously we know Chick-fil-A and Trader Joe’s. But what are those other things, experiences or brands? Maybe you were in a city and you saw it and love it, like Einstein Bagels or fitness-related shops,” she said.

Three banks based in Idaho are setting up in Richland, including Bank of Idaho, bankcda and Idaho Central Credit Union, the latter across from the new Costco.

As new businesses move in, others have made an exit, including two Rite-Aids the city lost in the central part of town when the chain went under. The city said the drug stores were each owned by different private entities and so far neither has abandoned their lease. Wallner would like to see a small grocery store open in the former Rite-Aid on Lee Boulevard, a long-standing food desert as the Albertsons building has continued to sit vacant.

“They haven’t left the lease, so we can’t put it on the market,” Wallner said. “There are people who could be interested, but it’s not available yet.”

The former Rite-Aid on George Washington Way, across from Walgreen’s, is up for lease – both buildings are about 17,000 square feet, “which is a lot,” Wallner said.

Richland has courted commercial businesses to the north end of town and sold more than a dozen one-acre lots zoned for light industrial since just last year. Wallner said it’s clear there’s an appetite for this and they’ll look for how else to accommodate the need.

Delayed projects

Richland still hopes a carbon-free fertilizer plant will locate in its advanced energy park. A $100 million price tag for power has Atlas Agro looking for a partner that could help shoulder some of the cost for infrastructure.

Another delayed project is Old Trapper, a national jerky manufacturer that has committed to establishing in Richland. The city signed a formal extension on the project with the expectation Old Trapper will still make its way here after it resolves expansion snags elsewhere.

Painters put the finishing touches on a new facility for Total Energy Management at 2521 Stevens Drive in Richland.

| Photo by Scott Butner Photography

Hosting IRONMAN

Richland was thrilled to host an IRONMAN race for the second time in 2025, with a course that began and ended in Richland.

“2,300 people registered from around the world to come to our community,” Wallner said. “It was important to put our best foot forward.”

The city was guaranteed an initial three-year commitment by the triathlon powerhouse. “I have no reason to think it won’t be extended. We are one of their higher rated courses,” Wallner said.

This year’s expected economic community impact was $7 million from 10,000 visitors.