The long-planned redevelopment of Vista Field has hit a couple of milestones.

Port of Kennewick commissioners recently approved a purchase and sale agreement with a Camas, Washington-based development team for a 13,077-square-foot lot.

The developers plan to build a five-story, 40,000-square-foot commercial and residential building on the corner lot at Crosswind Boulevard and Azure Drive.

It’s the first time a proposed project has made it to the final deal stage.

“I feel like maybe I (need) a drumroll opening, as opposed to just a regular opening,” said Amber Hanchette, director of real estate for the port, as she presented the purchase and sale agreement to commissioners on April 23 for approval.

They signed off in a unanimous vote, describing the moment as exciting and historic.

Southern gateway

Less than a week later, port officials celebrated the start of a project that will redevelop Vista Field’s southern gateway.

From left, Michael Alvarez, chairman pro-tem, Benton County Board of Commissioners; Ken Hohenberg, vice-chairman, Port of Kennewick, Board of Commissioners; Thomas Moak, secretary, Port of Kennewick, Board of Commissioners; Kyle Lenkersdorfer, GAME Inc.; Marcus Goodman, vice president, GAME Inc.; Connor Belmont, GAME Inc.

| Photo by Rachel Visick

Goodman & Mehlenbacher Enterprises, or GAME Inc., will renovate existing hangars, construct pergolas, landscape and create a “paper airplane” metal sculpture, among other amenities.

The $2.14 million project “connects the future with the past with the reuse of these hangars and the use of artwork and other touches,” said Benton County Commissioner Michael Alvarez during an April 29 celebration to mark the official launch.

Construction is expected to wrap up in mid-November, said Marcus Goodman, vice president of GAME Inc.

Tim Arntzen, the port’s CEO, noted the importance of the community planning process. “When we build things out here … it’s what the community told us that they wanted,” he said. “You’ll build further investment by being faithful to the community vision.”

Arntzen also expressed excitement about the new purchase and sale agreement for the mixed-use building at Crosswind Boulevard and Azure Drive.

“We were told to start with one- or two-story buildings here at Vista Field … and that’s what our expectation was,” he said. “But hey, we’ll take a five-story building if it comes along.”

‘An historical moment’

The new building will be on what’s called Lot 25.

The development team of Vatik Dulo of Akula Group and investor Ryan Foster have plans for a facility that includes retail and eateries on the first floor, two floors of apartments in the middle, and two-story townhome-style condos at the top.

Dulo first presented the vision late last year to port commissioners, and negotiations kicked off.

The port owns the 103-acre Vista Field, a former municipal airport that’s now envisioned as a vibrant, walkable mixed-use development. After years of work, including developing a master plan with input from the community and investing $4.9 million in infrastructure for the first phase of development, the vision is starting to come to life.

Along with Lot 25, another Vista Field project is moving toward fruition, although it’s not as far along the pipeline.

Richland restaurateur Isabelle Yuri Na wants to build an upscale Japanese eatery on the 5,000-square-foot Lot 15 on Crosswind Boulevard.

A purchase and sale agreement is being hammered out.

Dulo and Foster are paying $418,000 for Lot 25.

They have about 36 months to build the new building. They’re working through a collaborative design process with Matt Lambert of DPZ CoDesign, the planning, urban design and architecture firm that helped create the design standards for Vista Field.

Dulo told port commissioners on April 23 that he and his team are “really passionate about this project” and are excited about the community engagement they’ve witnessed since going public with their plans. They’ve been contacted by a local investor looking to get involved and by people interested in living in the new building, he said.

Vista Field – which is next to the Toyota Center and Three Rivers Convention Center, near the Columbia Center mall – operated for years as a municipal airport.

The port shuttered it in 2013 and began the transformation into a regional town center with a mix of commercial and residential development. At full build-out, it’s planned to include 750,000 square feet for retail, office, service and entertainment uses, 1,100 residential units, and more.

Port commissioners on April 23 expressed excitement about the Lot 25 project and progress – and about what it means for Vista Field.

“This is an historical moment in the Port of Kennewick’s development of Vista Field, maybe just in the Port of Kennewick in general,” Commission President Skip Novakovich said.

Commissioner Ken Hohenberg added that, “I like the look (of the building), I like the feel, I like what it’s going to bring to Vista Field. I like the thought and the vision that (the developers) have put into the project so far. It’s going to be a great addition kicking this off in Vista Field."