The changing face of Thompson Hill. Hundreds of more Tri-Cities homes and new hotel proposal

Wendy Culverwell
Updated ·6 min read

The north face of Kennewick’s Thompson Hill is changing.

On one end a developer is preparing lots for future private homes. On the other, a would-be developer is again contemplating a summit hotel where guests can sip wine and enjoy sweeping views of the Tri-Cities.

Already, the construction, largely confined the south face, has spilled across the ridgeline and is rearranging the look and feel of the familiar hill that for years sat unmarred by development but for a single home perched on top.

On the west end, Bauder Young Properties of Richland has begun work to convert 27 north-facing acres into 40 lots in the latest phase of its SouthCliffe subdivision.

The excavated hillside is visible above the northern stretch of Columbia Center Boulevard, which ends at West 21st Avenue, below an irrigation district canal on the hill’s lower slope.

Outlines of new roads and residential lots are being scratched out of the dirt on the west end of the north face of Thompson Hill in Kennewick.
Outlines of new roads and residential lots are being scratched out of the dirt on the west end of the north face of Thompson Hill in Kennewick.

On the east end, property owner Jose Chavallo confirmed to the Herald that he is meeting with hotel operators about potential development on property where his house sits, though he has yet to apply to rezone the site to start the process.

It’s a proposal that’s been 16 years in the making and prompted bitter neighborhood debates last fall, when the Kennewick City Council took up a proposal to accommodate denser development on the hilltop.

The council voted 5-2 to allow it, though a rezone is needed before anything can happen. That hasn’t been requested.

SouthCliffe over the top

SouthCliffe is the brainchild of Milo Bauder and the late Robert Young, who envisioned view homes on Thompson Hill as the Southridge area took off.

Southridge High opened its doors in 1997. A middle school, hospital and more soon filled in the bare space around it. Bob Olson Parkway, which opened in 2017, improved access to the hill’s south side.

The city first approved the SouthCliffe concept in 2012. The first two phases began the next year with about 30 lots. Nick Wright, who oversees the project for Bauder Young, said it created more lots in subsequent phases to speed up the pace of development.

Homes are currently priced from around $700,000 to well over $1 million, depending on location, size and view, according to a search of Zillow.com.

SouthCliffe will feature about 265 homes when the final phase is complete.

To date, seven phases have created 112 lots. Most are on Thompson Hill’s southern slope, with views of the Horse Heaven Hills. Phase 7, at the summit, offers a few ridgeline properties that are visible from the north.

Outlines of new roads and residential lots are being scratched out of the dirt on the west end of the north face of Thompson Hill in Kennewick.
Outlines of new roads and residential lots are being scratched out of the dirt on the west end of the north face of Thompson Hill in Kennewick.

Phase 8 is the only phase that is entirely north-facing, said Terri Hash, with Retter & Company | Sotheby’s International Realty, SouthCliffe’s longtime sales representative. The ninth, 10th and 11th phases will be on the southern slope.

“Then we’re done,” she said.

Bauder Young builds streets and utilities, then sells lots to buyers who work with approved builders to build their homes. Of the lots created to date, nine are unsold. About 90 homes have been built with roughly 20 sites still vacant.

Larger home lots

The neighborhood was originally planned for 400. The total was reduced when the developer opted to create larger lots.

In Phase 8, utilities and streets will be installed when the grading crew completes its work. The streets are designed to channel storm water into a network of pipes that will carry it to a retention pond on the lower slope.

The excavation is designed to reuse all the material on site. Graders are moving enough material to fill 11,200 20-ton dump trucks.

Outlines of new roads and residential lots are being scratched out of the dirt on the west end of the north face of Thompson Hill in Kennewick.
Outlines of new roads and residential lots are being scratched out of the dirt on the west end of the north face of Thompson Hill in Kennewick.

Work should be complete by November. It will take several months to record individual lots with the Benton County Assessor’s Office. Sales are expected to begin by late 2023 or early 2024.

Hash said buyer interest slowed in 2022 as buyers reacted to rising interest rates.

But spring brought revived interest from Seattle and Portland professionals looking to get more home for their money, she said.

SouthCliffe isn’t the only development on Thompson Hill but it may be the only one visible from the north.

The south-facing flank features hundreds of homes either planned or built in neighborhoods along Bob Olson Parkway, including Sherman Heights, which is being built by Hayden Homes Inc.

Homes there begin in the $450,000-$500,000 range.

Hilltop hotel

Another project could join all the home building on Thompson Hill.

The house that sits on top of Thompson Hill in south Kennewick was built 1971.
The house that sits on top of Thompson Hill in south Kennewick was built 1971.

Jose Chavallo and his family live on Thompson, in a home at the crest of the hill on the east end. They own two properties totaling nearly 50 acres.

Last fall, when Kennewick City Council voted to change the city’s comprehensive plan, it restarted his plan to create a hotel on the four-acre piece where his home sits.

Prior councils had rejected the idea and it was opposed by many from nearby neighborhoods, including Panoramic Heights, which is on the north side.

Bill Dixon, who represents the Panoramic Heights, said it remains opposed to development it believes exacerbate traffic, risk erosion and damage views of the hill, among other concerns.

The south side of Thompson Hill near the Southridge area is being prepared for future development.
The south side of Thompson Hill near the Southridge area is being prepared for future development.

Dixon said the neighborhood will continue to argue against development it believes will hurt the community if or when Chavallo seeks a rezone for his land.

“Development of the north slope would have a impact,” he said. “It seems the city is OK with that.”

This week, Chavallo confirmed to the Herald that he is actively meeting with hotel operators.

The COVID-19 pandemic slowed the project, as did local opposition and more recently, rising interest rates.

Chavallo noted he previously sought the change to allow for development in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

“It took 16 years to get here. It worked out this time,” he said.

He did not give a timeline for when he will seek the zoning change or submit plans to the city. But he defended his dream of creating a high-end hotel and restaurant atop Thompson Hill, saying few Tri-Citians have a chance to enjoy the view from his perch hundreds of feet above Kennewick.

“We want to open it to the community. Come up and enjoy it. Have a drink. That’s what we’re trying to do,” Chavallo said.

Kennewick deserves a top-tier hotel and a place to take visitors for a drink or meal overlooking the community, he added.

“It’s just amazing up there,” he said.

Anthony Muai, planning director for the city of Kennewick, confirmed Chavallo has not requested a zoning change.

“Nothing has happened on that project as far as the city is involved,” he said.

Muai said it’s unlikely Thompson Hill’s north side will be heavily developed because of the steep slopes topping 40 degrees, according to one environmental assessment..

For the face that’s visible from much of the Tri-Cities, visible development will be chiefly confined to the ridge and west end. he said.