Darigold utilities funded with tax increment financing

The Port of Pasco is one of the first entities in Washington to use tax increment financing to fund a portion of its share of the cost to extend utilities to Darigold Inc.’s $500 million processing plant in north Pasco.

It will cost more than $20 million to construct water, sewer, wastewater, broadband, telephone and natural gas facilities, as well as roads and a dedicated rail spur, to the property, on North Railroad Avenue in the new Reimann Industrial Center.

The port is contributing nearly $12 million and is using TIF to provide a revenue stream to repay the estimated $8.2 million in bond debt it will issue to finance the work.

The 2021 Washington Legislature authorized tax increment financing, or TIF, which allows local governments, including ports, to use the incremental taxes a project pays to finance the project.

The port said Darigold’s massive investment and the 500 direct jobs warrant using TIF. Darigold closed on the $3.3 million purchase of 150 acres at 8201 N. Railroad Ave., Pasco, on Jan. 12.

The TIF designation will end after 25 years or when all public improvement costs have been paid.

Kennewick mansion sells for $3.8 million

West Richland entrepreneurs have bought a seven-bedroom mansion on six acres in Kennewick.

The property, called Naoi Cailini Oga Estate, includes a temperature-controlled indoor pool, hot tub and sauna room, as well as six garages,
13 bathrooms, a theater, workout room and an apartment with a separate entrance.

Located at 100821 E. Brandon Drive, the 21,200-square-foot mansion sold for $3.8 million.

Kamaljit Singh and Sukhbans Kaur of West Richland bought it from Nancy Thurston, according to Benton County property records. The sale closed Jan. 28.

The West Richland entrepreneurs bought the Red Lion Hotel & Conference Center in Pasco in 2018 and own several other hotel properties and businesses.

The Naoi Cailini Oga tasting room’s last day in operation was Jan. 30.

Simplot-RDO adding veggie roasting line in May

The J.R. Simplot Co. and partner R.D. Offutt are adding a vegetable roasting line at the existing plant at 1825 N. Commercial Ave. in Pasco.

The project, being built by Fisher Construction Group, is adding ovens heated by four natural gas-fired burners with a combined capacity to process up to 10,000 pounds per hour.

The addition joins three existing buildings where Simplot processes frozen vegetables with a combined footprint of nearly 170,000 square feet. The company employs about 250 at the plant. The new line will not increase that, it said in documents submitted under the Washington State Environmental Protection Act, or SEPA.

The addition, expected to begin operations in May, will boost daily vehicle traffic to about 2,200, from the existing 1,950.

Walmart unveils Richland remodel

The Walmart Supercenter in Richland completed a $313,367 remodel to expand its online grocery pickup area, expand its beer and wine selection and add coolers at the front of the store for grab-and-go food items.

The Bentonville, Arkansas, company said the updates complement steps it has taken during the Covid-19 pandemic to protect associates and customers.

The store, 2801 Duportail St., received new signage, paint and flooring throughout the store to improve sight lines and make it easier to navigate the store.

Home-based businesses may be underinsured

The Northwest Insurance Council advises that home-based businesses may not be covered by homeowner or renter policies.

In a recent survey by AXIS Insurance Research, 44% of home-based business owners don’t have commercial insurance or are uncertain about what their insurance covers.

The insurance industry association advises that business activities may not be covered by homeowner policies.

“Whether it’s a ‘side-hustle’ or full-time gig, your investment in your home-based business could be at risk if you suffer a loss that isn’t covered by your homeowners’ or renters’ policy,” said Kenton Brine, president. “Those policies are likely to limit, or even exclude, coverage for the business use of property or possessions.”

The council advises consulting with an insurance company or agent to ensure property coverage.

Prosser to launch Whitstran Elementary remodel

The Prosser School District will launch the complete remodel of Whitstran Elementary, 102101 W. Foisy Road, beginning this summer.

The 15,817-square-foot building will get new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, as well as a 12,000-square-foot addition that will contain classrooms to replace existing portables, according to documents filed in December 2021 under the Washington Environmental Protection Act, or SEPA.

The remodel includes a new parking lot, bus loop and a drop-off lane for parents. Architects West designed the project.

The school opened in 1953 and was last renovated in 1986.

Voters approved a $69.3 million bond for several school projects, including the Whitstran school, in 2017.

Richland purchasing rundown motel

The city of Richland has reached a $1.2 million agreement to buy the aging Economy Inn at 515 George Washington Way, subject to a 60-day waiting period while it evaluates potential hazards or concerns.

The city council approved the purchase and sale agreement at its March 1 meeting.

The sellers are MD Sayed Ali and Jasmine Ali.

The city called the motel a gateway property that could be redeveloped for future municipal and economic development needs.

The seller is represented by Kirt Shaffer of Tippett Co. of Washington LLC. Greg Markel of WSIC listed the property.

The proposed sale to a public entity will remove the nearly 1-acre parcel and 1962-built motel from the property tax rolls. It had a 2022 property tax bill of nearly $9,900.

Kinwell Medical opens primary care clinic in Pasco

Kinwell Medical Group, a new physician-owned chain of clinics that launched in 2021, has opened a primary care clinic at 7505 Sandifur Parkway, Suite 103, in Pasco.

The Pasco clinic has one family practice physician and one physician assistant based at that location. The staff includes two medical assistants, a patient care coordinator and a practice manager. Patients can have blood drawn for lab work on site as well.

It joins locations in Wenatchee and Yakima. Plans are in development to add more clinics in Western Washington this year.

Kinwell clinics offer in-person and telehealth visits, online appointment scheduling and reduced wait times.

It is an exclusive network provider of Premera Blue Cross. Its physicians are available to anyone with Premera or LifeWise insurance. Patients can access services and make appointments through the Kinwell MyChart app.

Go to: kinwellhealth.com.

Grandridge Safe Storage becomes U-Haul dealer

Grandridge Safe Storage, 8122 Grandridge Blvd. in Kennewick, has signed on as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer, offering rentals of trucks as well as support on rental items, moving supplies and more.

Grandridge Safe Storage joins a nationwide network of more than 20,000 small businesses that belong to the U-Haul network.

KID plans reservoir to tame drought conditions

The Kennewick Irrigation District has submitted a massive reservoir project for review under the Washington State Environmental Protection Act, or SEPA.

The irrigation district is working with the Washington state Department of Ecology’s Office of Columbia River to plan a 12,000-acre-foot storage reservoir in the Badger Canyon area. The reservoir would improve water management and drought relief.

The proposed KID Central Storage Reservoir in the Badger Canyon area would help improve drought resilience.

The 330-acre KID-owned site is bounded by South Badger Canyon Road, East Badger Road, residential properties and a KID canal.

The most aggressive schedule would see construction begin in 2024 and wrap in 2030, though SEPA documents indicate it could take until 2045.

Go to: kid.org/resourcelibrary.

DOL waives fees after system goes down

The Washington Department of Licensing reports the licensee portion of its system is back online after going down on Jan. 24 when it was alerted to suspicious activity.

To limit the impact on licensees who expired during the outage, the state is automatically waiving all late-filing penalties through April 1.

Before restoring the portal to service, DOL investigated the apparent breach with an outside cybersecurity expert, including Washington Technology Solutions.

The licensee portion of the system is operating securely and will be monitored, it said.

Pasco dedicates Peanuts Park, Farmers Market

Pasco officials dedicated the renovated Peanuts Park and Farmers Market on March 11, celebrating an investment in updating the popular gathering spot.

The project replaced 1970s-era concrete features, created new covers for the farmers market area and upgraded infrastructure to support the food trucks which operate there and the many events that call it home.

The project is funded through a federal Community Development Block Grants, state funds and city funds.

The updates were conducted in tandem with the city’s $30 million Lewis Street Overpass project.

Senske Services partners with Rentokil

Senske Services has partnered with Rentokil, which is divesting itself of select lawn care operations. Senske, which has an office in Kennewick, is a family-owned provider of lawn, tree, and pest control services throughout the western United States.

Rentokil is a global leader in pest control. It sold its lawn care businesses in Washington and Utah. Terms were not disclosed.

Connell Library is ready for its close-up after remodel

The remodeled Connell Library opened Feb. 10, with a grand opening celebration set for March 19.

The library, part of the Mid-Columbia Libraries system, has undergone a lengthy interior remodel that includes new carpet, paint, shelving and light fixtures. The $300,000 project is the latest in a series of remodels throughout the system. The project included $17,000 in new books and materials in the collection.

The children’s area features a 3D saber-tooth cat, icebergs and fish. Elsewhere, images of popular authors and inspirational quotes line the walls, and a historic photo mural of the Connell community offers a glimpse of the region’s history.

The library is at 18 N. Columbia Ave. Hours are 2-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Saturday. The Connell library first opened in 1965 and moved to its current location in 1993. It is led by Supervisor Helen Tobin.

Lourdes closes one clinic, bolsters another

Lourdes Health is no longer operating clinics at its 14th Avenue building in Pasco.

It recently announced plans to relocate Dr. Wanda Good from its 14th Avenue office to the Lourdes West Pasco clinic on Road 68.

Good is a fellowship-trained robotic surgeon focusing on bariatric, general, metabolic, and robotic surgery and will now be part of the team at Lourdes Surgical Specialists at the West Pasco clinic. She is fluent in English and Spanish.

“We are excited for this clinic move and hope this will allow Dr. Good’s patients to find her in a more central and convenient location,” said Martha Varnado, clinic manager.

This move also adds to the growing list of services at the Lourdes West Pasco clinic, including family medicine, gastroenterology, general surgery, pediatrics, women’s health and diagnostic imaging and laboratory services.

“We always want to make things convenient for our patients and hope that they will find ease of access with primary and specialty care in the same building,” Varnado said.

The Lourdes West Pasco clinic is at 7425 Wrigley Drive, and Lourdes Surgical Specialists occupies Suite 204.

Permitting delays add to cost of new homes 

Permitting delays add roughly $22,000 to the price of a new home in Washington, according to recent analysis by the Building Industry Association of Washington.

BIAW also said permit approval delays averaged 6.5 months statewide. Benton County averaged 4.5 months. Franklin County’s average wasn’t included in BIAW’s report.

“At a time when housing prices continue to rise, Washington should prioritize timely permit processing so more people can find homes they can afford,” said BIAW President Joseph Irons.