MOD Pizza confirms it will open its second Tri-City location this summer. MOD, specializing in made-to-order pizza and salads, will be one of three businesses housed in a new strip mall taking shape in the parking lot of Columbia Center mall, the region’s largest retail center. Charlotte Wayte, spokeswoman for Seattle-based MOD Pizza, said the chain will...
Steve Lee is probably the only small business owner in theTri-Cities who isn’t complaining about government regulation. Well, he’s not complaining about the rules governing his newestventure, Green2Go Wellness, the CBD retail and delivery business heopened in the former Franz Bakery Outlet, 419 W. ColumbiaDrive, in December. That’s because Lee and his wife, Jessie, also operateGreen2Go Recreational, a legal cannabis retailer with stores in Finleyand Tokio. The...
George CicotteEmployers might be tempted to take a wait-and-seeattitude toward Washington’s new overtime rules that will dramatically increasepay for some salaried workers. Unlike the new minimum wage rate and paid family leave,which took effect on New Year’s Day, the overtime rules don’t change until July1.Between now and then is the short...
Architect to respect Italian stylings on exterior of Yakima Valley Farm Workers’ newest clinicTheTri-Cities’ newest health clinic will respect design standards of the Portof Kennewick’s neighborhood on theoutside. Onthe inside, the newest Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic will offerstate-of-the-art medical services to its patients. Thenonprofit broke ground this month on its latest location....
MichaelMarley recalls when Tri-City school officials cautioned architects to avoid anything fanciful in their designs for new buildings. Districts need voter approval to raise taxes to build and remodel schools. They feared “fancy” would come across as “wasteful.”Decision-makers relied on plain buildings to convey stability and frugality, said Marley, principal with CKJT Architects, a Kennewick firm focused on public sector projects. It’s an ethos that informed much of the region’s development but obscures the architectural gems that dot the...
A Kennewick accounting firm has sold itself, a move that ensurescontinuity for the 500 or so clients who depend on Marple & Marple CPAs tomanage their books and prepare their taxes.Richland-based PorterKinney PC bought Marple & Marple on Nov. 14. The move dramatically expanded PorterKinney’s footprint, giving it a newKennewick...
Sunnyside, Toppenish hospitals to remain openAstria Regional Medical Center in Yakima is closing this month. Its parent, Astria Health, announced that it failed to secure new financing for the 214-bed hospital this month as part of a larger bankruptcy deal that keeps hospitals open elsewhere in the Lower Yakima Valley. The closure affects 463 employees,...
A pair of Kennewick homebuilders will construct 500 to 600 townhomes and condominiums on the Pasco waterfront after buying the former Harris Farm. Ruslan Gorbatyuk and Peter Strizhak, who own Infinity Homes, Pro Made Construction and several other businesses in Kennewick, formed SG Land Management LLC to buy most of the farm at a November auction. The duo, backed by investors, paid $4.5...
A prominent west Pasco farm will sprout homes after anunnamed developer bought the land at a recent auction. The 45-acre Harris Farm sold for $5 million at a Nov. 14auction conducted by Musser Bros. Auctions.The property at 11530 W. Court St. was sold in fourparcels to two separate buyers.A private buyer...
Kennewick’s Boiada Brazilian Steakhouse will remain openafter a seasoned operator bought the unique restaurant from its founders.Helia Vieira, a 20-year veteran of Fogo de Chao chain ofhigh-end Brazilian restaurants, and his partner, Josiane Ballin, bought Boiadafrom its founders for $64,000. The deal includes a five-year lease for the6,000-square-foot restaurant, as...