Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

Paul & Diane Santillie of Kennewick, who made such a wonderful success of their pasta and sauce business, Pasta Mama’s, are back in business after a 16 year absence. Their story is one of triumph and tragedy. They developed the pasta business and became outstanding small business leaders in the state of Washington. Then tragedy struck on what was supposed to be a celebration of Paul’s 50th birthday – a hot air balloon ride that no one living in the Tri Cities could forget. The result was Paul being paralyzed, the business failure due to the accident and finally, bankruptcy and loss of everything.  But like the Phoenix, the Santillie’s are rising again. They most recently signed a lease on a building on North Columbia Center Blvd where they will have a manufacturing area, a retail shop, a restaurant and a garment printing business.  Lots of their former vendors, customers and business associates have been encouraging them and keeping in contact over the years, and were delighted to hear the news that Pasta Mama’s is Back!  We wish them the very best in their endeavor.

According to Smartmoney.com, the Tri Cities is listed as number 1 among the top 5 communities in the nation that will see increases in home prices for the 4th quarter of 2010, with increases just under 4 percent.  The Tri Cities has seen a stable real estate market and continued job growth throughout the period of time that the rest of the country has been experiencing major decline in housing and job markets. Construction permits in Kennewick, Pasco and Richland have grown with Kennewick seeing increases over over 100 in the same period from 2009. CNN money.com reports that Kennewick appears to have gone against the tide with a slight gain in comparison to other communities. “The biggest winner will be in the Kennewick metro area where home prices ramped up 8.9 percent over the past three years and are expected to go up 3.4 percent by June 2010.”

Last night the issue of keeping Vista Field in Kennewick open for air traffic or close it and use it for future development, came down to the vote – and the vote was YES – Keep it Open!  So the private airport will continue to be open for public use, and also as an alternative for emergency landings, training of pilots and for use if the fog closes the Pasco or Richland airports, because Vista Field sits on high ground.  So now the issue is closed and we can all get back to other development possibilities for the city of Kennewick.

HB 2510 is headed to the governors desk for signature this week could potentially save Kennewick General Hospital millions and make the construction of their new hospital in the Southridge area a reality as soon as this summer.  In a short summary, the bill would allow hospitals to use the land they currently own as collateral towards the financing needed for construction.  Ground breaking this summer is the hope for the district.

How long has this issue about the antique carousel and where it should be located been discussed? It seems like forever and a day.  Although the horses have all been restored and are currently being housed in city storage in Kennewick, $860,000 has been spent thus far in studies etc., and to no avail. It appears the issue could be rising again out of the ashes…..maybe.  Kennewick Council members held a day long retreat recently to cover the pressing questions facing the city of Kennewick’s future development, when the carousel issue was again addressed, this time with new members to the council asking pointed questions as to its viability and cost.

The city council members of Kennewick recently held a retreat to discuss subjects that spanned being involved with the Regional Oversight Committee, potential building of regional facilities and how best to fund them,  the extension of Steptoe Street, development at Southridge and the Bridge-to-Bridge, River-to-Railroad project, and of course, the future of Vista Field.