The south end of Columbia Center Boulevard in Kennewick is lined with multifamily housing, and the adjacent commercial district is home to a community and local businesses that are taking root.
The $200 million resort at Hansen Park, a community of 605 apartments and numerous buildings spread over 18 acres, has been in the works for several years and is still in the middle of full construction.
Business at Hansen Park Plaza, an adjoining suite of commercial suites at 910 S. Columbia Center Blvd., is picking up as the apartment community grows.
The building is well-located for long-time tenant Yogurt Beach, which has been there since 2016, and the large parking lot is suitable for StarCycle’s fitness classes.
Hansen Park Plaza’s newest tenant, The Peacock, will relocate from its home along the Parkway in Richland and open Oct. 31, helping to realize the commercial center’s long-planned vision for growth.
Yogurt Beach has been at Hansen Park Plaza since 2016, making it one of the longest-tenured tenants. Owner Melissa Baker poses in front of the frozen yogurt shop’s beach-themed decor.
| Photo credit: Rachel Visickvibrant community
Hansen Park Plaza was built before that time, said Steve Lambert, the designated broker for EXIT Realty Tri-Cities Life, who is handling the plaza’s lease.
When the commercial area was built in 2008, it was located at the end of a busy retail corridor along Columbia Center Boulevard, with most shops and restaurants located north of Clearwater Avenue. And when Lambert persuaded his brother, owner of California-based Lambert Properties LLC, to buy the five-acre property, the land was not for sale and Hansen The park’s resort had not yet been built. The $4.5 million sale was completed in 2022.
But Lambert knew the 17,600-square-foot commercial center would eventually be “blown up.”
The plaza, which also houses an Air Force recruiting office, a dentist’s office and a dog groomer, has two vacant suites, but it’s not for lack of interest.
“The phone has been ringing off the hook” since construction began on the Hansen Park resort, Lambert said. He said he has a clear vision for filling the vacant space.
“We have an opportunity to really take advantage of the center and revitalize it and develop it into something that is truly for the community,” he said.
He envisions Hansen Park Plaza as a destination, a walkable community shopping center where people want to linger. Lambert hopes to have several restaurants move in, and one or two have already made inquiries.
A juice and specialty food store will complement StarCycle’s studio. Lambert is happy to see it on the square. The cycling studio opened in January.
“That was the energy and atmosphere we needed,” Lambert said of opening The Peacock. “I’d like to see more really cool, unique local businesses like that get in there and do fun, cool things.”
But Lambert’s plans for the site go beyond filling the current building. Two more buildings are planned for vacant pad sites at the edge of the property.
Lambert expects a gas station with EV chargers or a national chain gas station to pop up on the corner, and other buildings to provide additional retail space. Each building will be approximately 6,500 square feet and will include a drive-thru.
One building already has much of its design completed, and Lambert said ideally it would be ready for rental within a year, although there is no formal timeline. But the top priority is getting tenants into the current building.
StarCycle opened its Kennewick studio in January, and owner Dana Ward says parking space is one of the key elements of the location.
| Photo credit: Rachel Visickchanging area
While there is a clear path forward for Hansen Park Plaza, the location has been a mixed bag for businesses over the years.
Sage Brewing Company, a tenant in the space formerly leased by The Peacock, only stayed for a few years, and other businesses have come and gone as well.
Yogurt Beach is one of the longest-serving tenants, with several businesses leaving or going out of business since Melissa Baker and her husband David Baker took over ownership in 2019. are.
Melissa Baker said the drive-thru has helped her get through the coronavirus pandemic. Since the Hansen Park resort was developed, foot traffic around the building has increased, she said.
“We’re excited to have new businesses like Peacock coming in,” she said.
Dana Ward, owner of StarCycle Studios on the square, finds the area difficult in terms of visibility, but the Peacock’s move will help draw more attention to the commercial center. I hope so.
I’m not sure if StarCycle gets a lot of customers from the Hansen Park resort, but that was one of the reasons they chose this location.
Mr. Ward described the commercial area as a “late blooming area,” but “it’s coming back a little bit and people are realizing the value of the location, the parking, the safety, the proximity to a lot of high-end housing.” I hope so.” ”
The Hansen Park resort is certainly still blooming, with its buildings in various stages of development.
“Our buildings and complexes are fully completed and, of course, we have some properties currently under construction,” said Karen Huber, property manager for Hansen Park Resort, managed by TMG Property Management Services NW.
The complex’s 20,000 square foot clubhouse is currently under construction and is scheduled to open on July 1st. It will include a fitness center, pool and pickleball courts. Other planned buildings include an over-55 community and an aparthotel.
About 300 people already live at the Hansen Park resort, and the development is still leasing apartments. Huber said the complex is popular, with buildings ranging in price.
“We have also built a very close-knit community,” she said. “We’re focused on making everyone feel important here. This is a very large complex, but they’re never just a number.”
Thomas Kalmbach, owner of The Peacock, isn’t worried that other tenants won’t stay where his business is currently located for long.
“It’s clear this area is booming and there’s a lot of investment and development going on,” he said.
While the Hansen Park resort was a big draw, they also realized that many of Parkway’s customers actually lived near the Hansen Park area.
Huber is already working with Kalmbach to plan events for residents.
“Just having all these tenants in a concentrated area is going to be really great for all the businesses surrounding this area,” she said.
The Peacock recently moved to its new home at 910 S. Columbia Center Blvd. in Kennewick. The move from The Parkway in Richland included a name change and expanded hours and services. Above is Thomas Kalmback, owner of The Peacock.
| Photo credit: Rachel Visickcoffee shop expansion
Peacock’s move and subsequent expansion caused a lot of excitement. Customers may remember the business as Peacock Coffee Roasting Co., a coffee shop formerly located on Parkway in Richland.
The restaurant’s new location, named in honor of Kalmbach’s mother, is painted in bold purple and blue colors and features expanded hours and an expanded offering of unique food, cocktails and more. Masu.
“Using coffee shops until the morning and lounges by the evening makes perfect sense from an evolutionary perspective,” Kalmbach says.
He founded the business on The Parkway three years ago after moving from Seattle. He said his company is the only zero-emissions coffee roaster in Eastern Washington, and the unroasted coffee beans Kalmbach obtains are sustainably and ethically sourced.
This is part of the “enhanced experience” that makes The Peacock unique. “We wanted to expand the experience and were constrained by the Parkway location to make that happen,” he said.
The new location has a ready-to-use kitchen space, and because the previous tenant was Sage Brewing Company, it was “already set up to be ready for cocktails, wine and beer,” Kalmbach said. .
With only two or three employees in the new location, they plan to make food that’s as unique as their coffee. Homemade pizzas with quality toppings, paninis, cold sandwiches, soups, salads, tiramisu and his own coffee products are all planned.
Kalmbach’s coffee also appears in cocktails. He plans to fly martinis and mules, and the syrup he uses in his coffee will also be used in the drinks.
“I want to create a menu unique to this kitchen that is a little different from what’s out there,” he said.
The expansion will allow The Peacock an additional 700 square feet and an additional 900 square feet of outdoor patio space in addition to dining. The patio has space to host events and live music.
The indoor space allows for a flexible transition from afternoon coffee to evening drinks, while also being family-friendly. One area has board games and a TV near a conference table in the back, creating a meeting space.
Peacock’s new hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, but may open as late as 10 or 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
