What’s that? Tri-Cities builders busy with titanium plant, greenhouse, transit office

Wendy Culverwell
·3 min read
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It can be difficult to keep up with all the construction occurring around the Tri-Cities.

In this occasional feature we’re calling “What’s that?” the Tri-City Herald identifies the building projects underway throughout the community. Been wondering what’s being built in your neighborhood?

Fill out the brief survey at the bottom of the article and we’ll check it out.

Kennewick

West Kennewick Retail

825 N. Edison St.

A 30,000-square-foot commercial shopping center with 25,600 square feet on the lower level and 4,240 square feet on a second story is under construction across Edison Street from Kamiakin High School.

Golf Universe is a tenant for two of the spaces, according to Kennewick building permits. The high-profile project includes 122 parking stalls.

Marilee and Craig Eerkes are the owners. LCR is the contractor. Devin Geisler is the designer. Work is expected to wrap by the end of the year. The property is being marketed to tenants by SVN Commercial Real Estate Advisors.

IBEW 112 Training Hall

142 N. Edison St.

A two-story, 26,000-square-foot building taking shape near Marineland Village will house a Joint Apprenticeship Training Center for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 112 and the National Electrical Contractors Association.

The $10 million project is taking shape on a 1.5-acre site next to the existing IBEW hall and is visible from both Edison Street and West Clearwater Avenue.

The new two-story, 26,000-square-foot building taking shape at 142 N. Edison St near Marineland Plaza in Kennewick will house a Joint Apprenticeship Training Center for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 112 and the National Electrical Contractors Association.
The new two-story, 26,000-square-foot building taking shape at 142 N. Edison St near Marineland Plaza in Kennewick will house a Joint Apprenticeship Training Center for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 112 and the National Electrical Contractors Association.

The new facility will double the number of apprentice electricians in the Tri-Cities when it opens. It is being built by an all-union crew, with DGR Grant Construction as the general contractor. Design West is the architect.

Alvarez Auto Sales

3809 Plaza Way

Alvarez Auto Sales is building a new dealership in the Southridge area. The project is visible from Plaza Way and Highway 395.

Traffic on Highway 395 in Kenewick passes by the new Alvarez Auto Sales building under construction in the Southridge area. The new car dealership is at 3809 Plaza Way in Kennewick.. The project includes ample parking for visitors as well as the inventory of vehicles for sale, along with a 4,054-square-foot office and service building.
Traffic on Highway 395 in Kenewick passes by the new Alvarez Auto Sales building under construction in the Southridge area. The new car dealership is at 3809 Plaza Way in Kennewick.. The project includes ample parking for visitors as well as the inventory of vehicles for sale, along with a 4,054-square-foot office and service building.

The project includes ample parking for visitors as well as the inventory of vehicles for sale, along with a 4,054-square-foot office and service building.

Sergio Alvarez is the owner.

MH Construction is the contractor. Baker Architecture is the designer.

Pasco

Local Bounti

950 S. Elm

Local Bounti Corp., a Montana-based indoor ag startup, is constructing a greenhouse complex near the intersection of Oregon Avenue and East “A” Street in east Pasco.

Work is underway on the 217,000-square-foot greenhouse and packaging facility for Local Bounti on a parcel of land just south of A Street between the intersections Elm Street and Oregon Avenue in Pasco. The company sells fresh, locally grown salads and lettuces to stores all across the Pacific Northwest. The company plans to grow a variety of lettuces and package the salads and lettuce in Pasco for distribution to grocery stores within 400 miles, which will allow them to ship to locations all across Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Locally their products can be found at Yoke’s Fresh Markets, and at some other stores under the Pete’s label. Currently these salads are grown either in Montana or California.

The company will cultivate lettuce and other greens for sale in groceries.

Local Bounti began construction in 2021 but paused it until 2022 after it acquired Hollandia Produce Group Inc., aka “Pete’s,” a fellow indoor ag firm. Work resumed in 2022.

Richland

Ben Franklin Transit Office

1000 Columbia Park Trail

Ben Franklin Transit is building a 17,000-square-foot office building at its administrative campus at the Richland Wye.

The construction, visible from Highway 240, is next to the transit agency’s existing administration building. Fowler Construction is the contractor.

ATI Inc. titanium plant

3101 Kingsgate Way

ATI, formerly Allegheny Technologies Inc., is building a 41,000-square-foot addition to its titanium melt facility in Richland’s Horn Rapids Industrial Park.

ATI is based in Dallas, Texas and produces specialty metals for the aerospace and defense industries. it secured permits for the project, valued t $28 million, this spring and held an official ground breaking this summer.

The Richland plant is its only facility in Washington and is part of a larger initiative to expand production after securing major commitments from customers. It is expected to add 100 jobs to the plant when operational.