Focus: Real Estate + Construction 2017
Experts say region poised for continued growth
By Michelle Dupler Everywhere you look in the Tri-Cities, there are new faces, new businesses and new homes being built. The area is in the midst of economic and population booms that keep ranking it on lists of desirable places to live, work and play. And local experts say the steady growth should continue at…
Residential market hungry for homes
By Michelle Dupler The Tri-City area continues to be a hot market for real estate, offering continued affordability, low unemployment and an attractive local economy in comparison to many other metro areas in the United States. Local experts said single-family home construction continues to boom, as do sales of existing homes, while both the average…
Demand for development swells in Kennewick
Kennewick continues to grow as the Southridge area flourishes and new residential and commercial construction projects take shape throughout the city. Projects under permit review that likely will start at the end of this year or the beginning of 2018 include a 10-screen movie theater on South Quillan Street, a 53,750-square-foot Gensco Inc. building for…
Richland eyes local, international developments
The city of Richland continues to experience residential, commercial and industrial growth, with additional homes and businesses to pop up in 2018. “Beginning in 2016 and continuing through this year, Lamb Weston’s expansion continues to be our biggest project. Lamb Weston is a great partner with the city, and its expansion increases our job market…
Building permits surge with Pasco’s population
Commercial building permits issued in Pasco edged ahead of last year, while single-family home permits were well above those issued for the same period. And next year’s outlook also looks positive, said Rick White, community and economic development director for the city of Pasco. “Things look good. Food products and distribution activities continue to be…
Residential growth on rise in West Richland
The city of West Richland continues to be a desirable place to live, made evident by the 84 single-family home building permits requested during the first six months of 2017. That’s an impressive number when compared to the 89 single-family home construction permits issued in all of 2016. “This year has been big. We are…
Redefining Kennewick’s downtown areas
A return to small towns and reconnecting to the waterfront is the idea behind the Port of Kennewick and city of Kennewick’s joint project to develop vacant riverfront property. The goal is to cultivate “new energy, vitality, business and jobs and provide a gathering place for people,” said Kennewick Mayor Steve Young. “It’s a major…
Port plans more airport improvements
The new Tri-Cities Airport terminal opened in February 2017 and the Port of Pasco is planning more improvements in coming months. Also on the horizon are plans to develop the port’s 60-acre marine terminal area just east of the cable bridge. The $41.9 million airport project nearly doubled the size of the terminal and brought…
Hundreds of acres available soon in Richland
Work to market 760 acres of federal land transferred to the Port of Benton will kick off in earnest in the coming year. In 2016, the Department of Energy transferred 760 acres of industrial land from the Hanford site to the Port of Benton and 581 acres to the city of Richland as part of…
Dorms, new buildings shape college campuses
By Stacey Denny Columbia Basin College’s new student housing opened in September, and Washington State University Tri-Cities officials expect to open the doors to their new housing complex next year. It’s a sign the Tri-City colleges are becoming destination campuses. Site and weather-related delays pushed back WSU Tri-Cities’ plans for its new 800-bed dormitories, but…
