August 2022 Volume 21 | Issue 8
More big development coming to Pasco’s east side By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz
Focus
STCU hits $5 billion, eyes more branches in the Tri-Cities Page A17
Tourism
Cities embrace space when the solar system comes to town Page A27
Real Estate & Construction
Homebuilding slows in the Tri-Cities but demand goes on Page B1
NOTEWORTHY “There is an incredibly science-savvy community here.” -Michael Landry, director, LIGO Hanford Observatory
Page A29
Pasco’s not-so-sleepy east side is getting yet another massive new development. Tarragon LLC, a Seattle development firm that builds industrial, residential, retail and mixed-use projects, submitted plans for an industrial complex with eight buildings totaling 2.1 million square feet on South Road 40 East, near Sacajawea State Park, to the city of Pasco. The combined size is roughly equal to the two Amazon warehouses being built next door and across the street. The industrial park’s future tenants could bring 1,500 employees to the neighborhood and add 7,250 new vehicle trips to local streets per day, with truck trips representing 17% of the total, according to a description of the project in environmental review documents. The project could have a construction value of $273 million or more, based on the average cost of industrial development of $130 to $190 per square foot in the Seattle region in mid2022, as calculated by Rider Levett Bucknall, which tracks commercial construction costs. Ben Waiss, senior development manager and Tarragon’s lead contact, declined to comment. The project is referred to as Pasco Road 40 Development in documents filed under the Washington State Environmental Protection Act, or SEPA. The city issued an environmental checklist regarding the project on Aug. 2 and indicated it is probable the project will not have a significant impact on the environment. The review process was pending when the Journal of Business went to press. Tarragon had not secured building permits. The project will occupy two parcels of undeveloped land totaling 111 acres. It is directly west of the Lakeview manufactured home park. One of the two Amazon warehouses is to the north; the other is kitty-corner across the street. Tarragon paid $5.2 million for the uTARRAGON, Page A4
Photo by Wendy Culverwell Jenny Vollmer of Kennewick rents her swimming pool by the hour on Swimply, a company that connects pool owners with swimmers willing to pay a fee to rent them.
Tri-City homeowners take the plunge into pool rentals By Jeff Morrow
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
When Bunim Laskin was a kid in New Jersey, he was always looking for things to do. “I am the oldest of 12 kids,” he said. “And growing up, I never attended summer camp.” One day during a long, hot summer, Laskin eyed his neighbor’s swimming pool. “I convinced the neighbor to let me use his pool for a fee,” Laskin said. “The lightbulb went off when the neighbor said ‘yes.’ ” That lightbulb led Laskin to start Swimply, which connects owners of private swim-
ming pools with people who are willing to pay a fee to use them for a few hours. He realized how many other pools there were, many of which weren’t being used a lot. The new company, Swimply, has become the “Airbnb of swimming pools.” “Except,” interjected Laskin, “Swimply rents out by the hour, while Airbnb is at least an overnight stay. Plus, normally people come to the pool from your community, rather than come in from out of town.” So far, seven Tri-City pool owners have taken the plunge and listed theirs with SwimuSWIMPLY, Page A32
Richland’s Reach Museum emerges from pandemic leaner and stronger By Robin Wojtanik
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
The Reach Museum survived the pandemic, increasing admissions beyond prepandemic levels, celebrating its eighth anniversary and looking to the future with hope for an expansion at its Richland facility overlooking the Columbia River. “It’s really a milestone for us,” said Rosanna Sharpe, executive director. The museum was meeting its goals before the Covid-19 pandemic forced it to shut down. “Just after our fifth anniversary, we were trending upward in terms of our mission, growing our membership, our foundation support and engagement with the commu-
nity. Then everything kind of cut off at the knees, like many organizations; we were not unique. So, we had to really have an austere program.” The Reach Museum opened in 2014 and celebrates the natural and scientific history of the Mid-Columbia along with its people and cultures. It serves as the epicenter for tourism related to the Ice Age Floods and the Hanford Reach National Monument, for which it is named. To survive with its doors closed for a full year, the Reach cut staff, reorganized those who remained and applied for and received $180,000 through the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act, uREACH, Page A36
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