Our annual list of the most-read stories on the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business’ website covered a range of topics always popular with our readers – property, land and restaurant sales, and planned restaurant openings.

But the coronavirus theme also ran through our top stories, just as it did our communities.

Among the most read online features included our initial roundup of coronavirus-related cancellations posted March 12, and a story about an interactive map providing scores of state and county level performance to show how behaviors were changing across the country in the wake of social distancing recommendations.

Our Building Tri-Cities section also proved popular with online readers. It’s an advertorial feature highlighting new construction projects and the contractors who work on them.

Here are the top news stories of 2020, according to tcjournal.biz readers:

1. Pasco’s historic Moore Mansion sells for $2.7 million (https://bit.ly/MooreMansion): We broke this March story about Debra and Brad Peck selling their historic Pasco mansion to a Kennewick couple who planned to run it as a residence and event center.
2. Longtime arborist says goodbye to Richland and its 5,800 trees (https://bit.ly/RichlandArborist): This September profile featured retiring Richland arborist Ruben Rojas, the man charged with the care of the 5,800 trees that dot city parks and properties.
3. MOD Pizza coming to Kennewick this summer (https://bit.ly/ColumbiaCenterexpands): Snow was on the ground when we wrote this January story about MOD Pizza’s plans to open a second Tri-City location at Columbia Center in Kennewick. A follow up story confirming the planned tenants also cracked our most-read list: (https://bit.ly/NewMallTenants).
4. Kennewick developers plan up to 600 homes on Pasco waterfront (https://bit.ly/HarrisFarmbuyers): This January story highlighted the plans of a pair of Kennewick homebuilders wanting to construct 500 to 600 townhomes and condominiums on Pasco waterfront. They bought 39 acres of the former Harris Farm.
5. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit reopens in Richland for Valentine’s Day (https://bit.ly/Dickeysreopens): A commercial real estate broker and owner of a Tri-City moving company reopened the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit at 2530 Queensgate Drive in Richland. This February story reported about the plans to relaunch the brand in the Tri-Cities eight months after it abruptly closed in June 2019.
6. Columbia Center reopens after 3½-month closure (https://bit.ly/ColumbiaCenterreopens): Many readers welcomed the July news that Columbia Center mall planned to reopen with enhanced safety protocols after being closed for three-and-a-half months to slow the spread of coronavirus. The Kennewick mall, which shut its doors March 19, reopened four days after Gov. Jay Inslee announced that Benton and Franklin counties could move into a modified Phase 1 of the state’s Safe Start plan.
7. Longtime Stick + Stone manager buys restaurant (https://bit.ly/stickstonenewowner): Another February restaurant story cracked our top 10 list. The founders of Richland’s Stick + Stone Neopolitan Wood-Fired Pizza sold the business to the employee who has managed it almost from the start.
8. Restaurant for lease in prominent Richland spot (https://bit.ly/MarkelRestaurant): Drivers passing by the construction near the intersection of Keene Road and Queensgate Drive clearly were anxious to find out what it was going to be. This October story reported about a prominent Tri-City developer’s plans to build a fast-food restaurant and office next door to Richland’s newly relocated TacoTime.
9. Old Kennewick hospital eyed for mental health, addiction center (https://bit.ly/KGHrehab): We broke this October story about the former Kennewick General Hospital, currently used a birthing center by Trios Health, becoming a detoxification and residential treatment facility offering drug treatment and mental health services under a plan set in motion more than two years ago and now gaining momentum.
10. Tri-City hoteliers think outside the box as pandemic emptied rooms (https://bit.ly/HoteliersPivot): Our May story featured the creative ways Tri-City hoteliers adapted to stay relevant in a wake of cancellations and fewer visitors during the state-mandated shutdown.