Real Estate & Construction
PNNL awards $64.2M contract for new research building
Project will use local suppliers, contractors; facility will be between 110,000 to 145,000 square feet A $64.2 million contract has been awarded to a Houston-based partnership to design and build a new energy sciences building at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland. Construction could start later this year or in early 2020 on the building…
Corwin Ford completes major remodel to detail shop
Corwin Ford recently completed a $689,000 renovation to its detail shop. The 5,400-square-foot building at 1225 Autoplex Way in Pasco will be used by the auto dealer to detail vehicles, spray on truck bed liners and take photos of the cars in its inventory. Renovations to the former Russ Dean Ford Mechanic Shop included the…
Nueva Vista II low-income housing now complete in Kennewick
The Kennewick Housing Authority’s Nueva Vista II low-income housing project recently wrapped at 334 N. Union St. in Kennewick. The development is adjacent to Nueva Vista I. All 28 units already are leased to qualifying individuals and families who fall at or below 30 percent or 50 percent of the Benton County area median income,…
Hot Tri-City housing market showing signs of slowing down
The Tri-Cities’ red-hot housing market is beginning to show signs of cooling. After a multi-year trend of rapidly appreciating home values, the construction labor force is stretched thin, interest rates are on the rise and building material prices are up due to new tariffs. But that’s not to say new housing projects have ground to…
Contractors squeezed by higher costs while demand remains strong
By Jennifer L. Drey Increased costs for materials and labor, coupled with national tariffs and state regulations are presenting challenges and squeezing margins for general contractors in the Tri-Cities as demand for construction remains heavy, according to those in the industry. Nationally, the costs of all inputs to construction increased by 4.9 percent between November…
Kennewick coffee roaster to expand, open shop in Richland
A massive coffee bean roaster will need to be disassembled and moved to a new building in north Richland when Treasure Valley Coffee of the Columbia Basin opens its new headquarters, along with a retail store, in the Horn Rapids Business Park this summer. The $1.9 million investment includes land bought from the city of…
Musser Bros. Inc. completes new office, hangar
Musser Bros. Inc. completed a 9,000-square-foot corporate office and hangar near the company’s auction facility near the Tri-Cities Airport on Dec. 1. Musser Bros. Inc. has been in the area since 1982 and its newest project at 3125 Rickenbacker Drive in Pasco represents the continuation of the real estate, equipment and automobile auctioneer company’s growth.…
RDO Equipment Co. to launch new store format in Kennewick
Homeowners, hobby farmers and do-it-yourselfers will be able to shop for lawn mowers, compact tractors and utility vehicles at a new store in Kennewick this spring. The new RDO Equipment Co. concept store will open by April 1 on the south side of Kennewick Ranch Home off Columbia Center Boulevard. RDO’s new retail store format…
West Richland voters asked to consider paying for $12.5M police station
West Richland voters will be asked in April to consider a $12.5 million bond to build a larger police station. The bond would add 42 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to property taxes. That means owners of a $200,000 home would pay $84 a year. The proposed 22,500-square-foot police building would have a secure…
Longtime builders move to Tri-Cities after 22 years in North Dakota
A longtime custom home-building company with a successful operation in North Dakota has moved to the Tri-Cities. The father-and-son team of John and Stephen Worlund decided to move Anasazi Builders after almost 22 years to be closer to family. “We had to turn down 21 homes. We finished the last two homes in North Dakota.…
