Plans are in the works for a large 94-bed memory care facility off West Van Giesen Street in West Richland.

Called The Vineyards at West Richland, the memory care community would be the first in the city.

While West Richland has some homes that have been converted for senior living, there aren’t facilities of this size in the city, said Eric Mendenhall, the city’s community development director.

The 36,800-square-foot facility is planned for 12.02 acres of land at the southeast corner of West Van Giesen Street and Paradise Way. It would be roughly the same size as the Windsong at Southridge memory care facility at 4000 W. 24th Ave. in Kennewick.

Mitchell Creer LLC bought the West Richland property in 2020 for $400,000, according to property records.

The memory care community will be designed to support those with advanced dementia, said Stephanie Gibbons, the operator for The Vineyards, in an email to the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business. The facility will accept Medicaid and also will provide access to outside provider services, including hospice, home health, primary and dental care, and rehabilitative therapies.

“This project addresses the growing need for specialized memory care by providing person-centered services, including assistance with activities of daily living, medication management, and structured dementia care in a secure setting,” according to preliminary documents.

The land is owned by Britt Creer, who will be overseeing construction as the project moves forward. While permits have not yet been issued for the project, Gibbons said that construction is anticipated to take about 18 months.

The Vineyards at West Richland property is adjacent to a new traffic circle at the intersection of West Van Giesen Street and Paradise Way, work that’s part of a larger state Department of Transportation project to improve the aging Van Giesen corridor.

The memory care community joins the city’s growing west side.

It is across from the Heights at Red Mountain Ranch development. Nearby, Benton Rural Electric Association’s new headquarters is close to completion off Keene Road near the Tri-City Raceway and West Richland Police Department. North of the property is the massive Lewis & Clark Ranch, over 7,000 acres of farmland planned to transition to urban use over time.

West Richland’s population – 18,430 in 2025 – has grown 13% over the past five years, according to state data.