Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

We in the Tri Cities have been incredibly fortunate not to have experienced the huge decline in the housing market as many communities have; in fact, the Tri Cities housing starts are blossoming with a 255 percent increase in building permits over last year.  Almost 300 new homes are under construction currently with nearly half of those being built in Pasco.

The Lady Riverhawks of Chiawana High School in Pasco defeated the Federal Way Eagles 43-40 for the state opening basketball game. We’re all wishing them luck against Auburn Riverside tonight.  Click here to read the play by play.

Liberty Tax Services are offering free tax help to Pasco & Richland educators, school employees and bus drivers for “Educator Appreciation Days” at their offices on Road 68 and queensgate from March 1-7.  Most educators spend their own money on supplies for thier classrooms and they could be eligible for a tax break for 2009 taxes.  Those eligible are educators teaching kindergarten through 12th grade teachers, instructors, counselor, principal or aide who spends at least 900 hours in a private or public school.

Creating an environment of cooperation among the 4 cities that encompass the Tri-Cities is the theme that local officials want to encourage, as they addressed the group that attended the 8th annual State of the Cities meeting on Wednesday, at the Tri City Regional Chamber of Commerce offices. Growth of the cities has put our area on the map, so to speak and each individual city has outlined the projects that they feel will add to the growth while benefiting it’s citizenry.

Richland has plans of widening Keene Road from Queensgate to West Richland, and adding a spray park to the Badger Mountain Community Park along Keene. They will also work in cooperation with Kennewick to reconstruct Steptoe Street and make a decision about the future location of the Hanford Reach Interpretive Center, among other projects.

Pasco, Kennewick and Richland will work in partnership on the studying the best location for the next bridge crossing the Columbia River.

Pasco officials and the Port of Pasco are looking into the development of the river shoreline east of the cable bridge, additional infrastructure as a support of future growth and industrialization, a $9 million water treatment facility, and the creation of a new overpass at Lewis Street.

Kennewick officials are looking for increased private development of the Vista Entertainment District and to the development of the Southridge area, which they expect will include 60% of the cities future growth.  The city is planning the Bridge-to-Bridge, River-to-Rail effort with the Port of Kennewick, which consists of a major overhaul of the property that lies between the blue and cable bridges.

West Richland is looking to expand the economic base and expand infrastructure between Red and Badger Mountains, and invest in tourism with regards to the wine industry as a way to add to the regional vision, and increase growth in that community.

In a time when costs to each municipality are increasing, funding from the state faces cuts, and the residents want more metropolitan projects, the officials in each city are optimistic about continued growth.  Let’s be optimistic along with them – Time will tell……..

March 4, 2010:  2010 Mid-Columbia Literary Festival, 7:00 pm HUB Main Stage, Columbia Basin College in Pasco. Featuring Jess Walter and Pete Fromm.  (509) 542-5531 for more info

March 9 & 23, 2010:  Wine Tasting – Monterosso’s Italian Restaurant, 5:00 pm, 1026 Lee Blvd, Richland.  (509) 946-4525 for more info.

March 10, 2010:  Quattrocelli – Community Concerts of the Tri-Cities present an ensemble of 4 cellists. 7:30 pm at 1800 N Rd 72, Pasco. (509) 547-6243 for more info.

March 11, 2010: Wayman Chapman, jazz and blues performance, 6 pm – 9 pm, Bookwalter Winery, 894 Tulip Lane, Richland. (509) 927-5000 for more info.

March 13, 2010: Romagossa Blu:  6 pm – 9 pm, Bookwalter Winery, 894 Tulip Lane, Richland. (509) 927-5000 for more info.

March 18, 2010:  Eleanor Roosevelt-No Ordinary Woman: 7pm CBC HUB Main Stage, Pasco. (509) 542-5531 for more info

March 20, 2010:  Mid-Columbia Symphony Concert exhibition, 8 p.m. Three Rivers Convention Center, Kennewick (509) 732-3722 for more info.

March 26, 2010:  27th Annual Quilt Show & Merchant Mall, 10 am – 6 pm, Three Rivers Convention Center, Kennewick, (509) 539-0422 for more info.

March 26-27, 2010:  Custer’s Spring Arts & Craft Show 2010, TRAC facility in Pasco, starts at 10 am each day. (509) 924-0588 for more info.

When most people think about wines and where they come from, folks mostly think California or France, but here among the Wine Country of Eastern Washington sits our beautiful community of the Tri Cities.  We boast over 300 days of sunshine a year, wonderful wineries & tasting rooms, world class golf courses, diverse recreational opportunities and river activities on our three rivers.

Our “community” consists of Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, West Richland, Benton City, Burbank, Finley and surrounding areas, which makes our population in the range of 256,000. Each city has it’s own personality yet we come together as a region that is always seeking to improve and grow. This family friendly community boasts excellent schools, both public and private, and a low crime rate which is constantly under the watchful eye of our local officials and vigilant citizenry.

The Tri-Cities is a wonderful place to live and we’d like to invite you to come visit and take a look at all the Tri Cities can offer you, including affordable housing and plentiful jobs.