Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

A new potato processing facility is coming to Pasco, thanks to Easterday Farms. The Port of Pasco announced it had sold 12.5 acres to the Easterday family in August to build the facility on. It is estimated that around 40 people will be employed at the plant.

Construction has started on the 80,000 square foot packing plant and it is anticipated that it will be completed around May 15th. The family has grown and packed fresh onions but this will be the first step into the fresh potato market.

The Port of Pasco has one more undeveloped parcel left in the industrial area and hopes to attract another food processing facility. Food processing plants in the Tri-Cities are rapidly becoming major employers to many Tri-Citians.

Easterday’s chose the spot because of the access to the freeway and fresh water, indicating that it is an ideal spot for food manufacturing.

A unique new landmark will soon grace the gateway to Clover Island in Kennewick and bring a special feel from the past to historic downtown Kennewick. 

The $1 million dollar project has been a work in progress for several years by the city of Kennewick and will finally get underway this month, thus bringing together the ambiance of the past and the function of the future – aiding the U.S. Coast Guard with navigation along that part of the Columbia River.

After completion and permiting, the lighthouse will offer visitors a chance to climb to the top and take in the view along the river. The improvements will also include a public plaza with plantings and seating. A graceful arch will be placed at the entrance to Clover Island with welcoming signage.

Today 9/09

Benton County Solid Waste Advisory Committee, 6 p.m., Washington State University Extension office, Benton County Annex, 5600 W Canal Dr.: discuss budget for the operation of the Moderate Risk Waste Facility, grant funding for 2010-2011, status of the organics study.

Pasco School Board, 6:30 pm, Booth building, 1215 W. Lewis St.: discuss opening student enrollment and the 2010 levy election.

Kennewick School Board, 5:30 pm, administration building, 524 S Auburn: discuss the levy timeline, architect selection update, Fourth Avenue Center timeline, elementary modernization timeline and a second reading of a policy on high school graduation requirements.

Thursday 9/10

Port of Pasco Commission, 9:30 a.m., commission chambers, 904 E Ainsworth Avenue: update on the Tri-Cities Airport Business Center.

Richland Parks and Recreation Commission, 7 p.m., city hall council chambers, 505 Swift Blvd: capital facilities projects and recommendations for 2010 budget; recommendation to fund cultural study for the Howard Amon Park irrigation project.

Ben Franklin Transit, 7 p.m., Three Rivers Transit Center, 7109 W Okanogan Place, Kennewick, to discuss petition from Prosser residents.

The Kennewick City Council wants to see more progress made toward building a regional facility, and likes the idea of using a metropolitan parks district to pay for it.

The council discussed a possible regional facility during a workshop meeting Tuesday.

Such a facility could be an aquatic center or a performing arts center, but the council would like to see the Regional Facilities Oversight Committee step back and take a look at all possible projects.

The committee is made up of representatives from Kennewick, Pasco and Richland and has led the discussion of a facility all three would combine to build for the last few years.

But Kennewick council members are getting antsy that not enough is happening and agreed Tuesday to tell the committee they want something done.

Among the messages they plan to send is that they want the committee to find an independent third party, such as the League of Women Voters, to lead a public forum so Tri-Citians can say what kind of facility they want and how they’re willing to pay for it.

The council said it leaned toward wanting a parks district that would levy property taxes, than a regional public facilities district that would rely upon sales taxes.

Source: Tri-City Herald

Source: Herald staff:

Tuesday Sept. 1:

Kennewick Irrigation District, 9 a.m., 12 W. Kennewick Avenue., Kennewick: discuss formation of the Red Mountain South Local Improvement District and receive an update in executive session about the process to interview applicants for the secretary-manager’s job.

Kennewick City Council, 6:30 p.m., 210 W. Sixth Ave.: workshop to hear a financial update on the first quarter of the biennium and a presenation on a proposal for regional facilities in the Tri-Cities that could bring an aquatics center and a performing arts center to the community. A regular meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. to approve a consent calendar and an ordinate establishing policy for reimbursement on infrastructure costs from owners who develop their properties after improvements have been installed.

Richland City Council, 7 p.m., council chambers, city hall, 505 Swift Blvd., library artwork, Bradley Boulevard alignment, Duportail bridge and Lee Boulevard improvements.

Wednesday Sept 2.

Franklin County Commission, 9 a.m., courthouse, 1016 N. Fourth Ave., Pasco: meeting canceled.

Source: Tri-City Herald

Kennewick could have its long-desired convention center hotel with a real estate deal approved Tuesday by the city council.

The council agreed on a real estate sales and purchase agreement with The Provost Group of Santa Rosa, California, for 2.25 acres the city decided three weeks ago that it would offer for sale. The agreed upon price is $563,482.

Jeff Kossow, Kennewick’s economic development directed, said The Provost Group wants the property developed as a multi-story headquarters hotel, which would be adjacent to the Three Rivers Convention Center in the Vista Entertainment Center. The sales agreement allows 180 days for the purchaser to investigate development options.

The hotel would have all the amenities necessary for a headquarters hotel that serves the convention center. The agreement calls for a restaurant, bar, room service, fitness room and pool. A $5,000 deposit secures the sale agreement.

The Provost Group must submit building plans within six months after closing and begin construction within 18 months of closing. The city has the right to take back the property if conditions of the agreement are not completed according to the timeline.

The two-acre sale agreement follows a similar deal by The Provost Group with the city in May for nine acres, also in the Vista Entertainment District near the convention center. The property has not yet been developed.

The Provost Group also cemented a sales agreement earlier Tuesday for 15 acres owned by the Kennewick Irrigation District in the same area. That gives the Santa Rosa property development and management company control of about 27 acres in the Vista Entertainment District.

“This is an exciting time for those of us who’ve been involved with the convention center,” said councilman Steve Young. He was on the Kennewick Facilities District Board of Directors eight years ago when it was created to design, build and open the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick.

Young said the original vision to have a headquarters hotel next to the convention center is finally becoming reality.

Kossow said representatives of The Provost Group have already contacted national hotel chains. “They want to move quickly on this,” he said.

Kossow said the deal has been several years in the making. Kennewick city staff contacted The Provost Group during an International Shopping Centers Conference: “We knocked on their door, and they answered,” he said.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the council:

– Approved a resolution creating a Southridge Revitalization Area of about 1,600 acres and authorized the City Manager Bob Hammond to negotiate agreements between the city, Port of Kennewick, Benton County and Kennewick General Public Hospital District to participate in a Local Revitalization Financing Program sponsored by the state.

The program offers up to $500,000 a year in tax revenues for up to 25 years to the city to help build infrastructure in the Southridge area that would promote growth of business and jobs.

The county and hospital commissioners have said they are willing to give their share of expected property and sales tax revenues associated with the growth to help pay for the improvements.

Port commissioners are supportive but have reservations about how their contribution would be spent. The Port of Kennewick decided earlier Tuesday to opt out of the revitalization financing program.

The port would have to fork over $350,000 in future property taxes within the Southridge area to help prepare the area for development. But the port unanimously decided it didn’t want to participate without knowing how its share would be spent, said Tim Arntzen, the port’s executive director.

Part of the revitalization area includes land the port sold to a developer in 2006, and the port can’t legally spend money to provide infrastructure to that land, he said. The developer of South Ridge Village agreed to put in roads, sewer, water and electric lines as part of the purchase agreement for the port’s 150 acres, Arntzen said.

The port may reconsider joining the revitalization area if it can sign an interlocal agreement with Kennewick spelling out the Southridge infrastructure development plans more clearly, Arntzen said. The port would like to have more control on how its share is used, he said.

Dean Maldonado, who with his partners owns more than 200 acres in Southridge, said finding financing for infrastructure in the current economy is extremely difficult. Kennewick needs to have the interlocal agreements completed in time to apply for the state’s Local Revitalization Funding program Sept. 1

The maximum that could be handed out would be five grants of $500,000 each, which will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, said Marie Mosely, the city’s director of support services.

Councilman James Hempstead noted that if the city is successful, the grant will help develop the Southridge area without having to impose new taxes on Kennewick citizens. “It’s good for the state as well,” said Mosely, who explained that by fronting money to the city for the development, the state will receive new sales taxes that come from the new businesses.