housing Archives | Connell, Washington

housing

1000_F_1953667867_EzlmH3McYkRqCA5ELbex5vo7PLu1eXBo

Richland downtown area nominated for federal Opportunity Zone

A downtown Richland neighborhood is among 99 areas Gov. Bob Ferguson nominated for the federal Opportunity Zones 2.0 program, with a proposal summary projecting about $300 million in capital investment and roughly 480 new housing units if the designation is certified and projects move forward.

Ferguson announced the statewide nominations Oct. 8 and submitted them to the U.S. Treasury Department. The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business reported that the proposed Downtown Richland project is the only selection in Benton or Franklin counties. Others were selected in the Yakima and Walla Walla valleys.

According to the Journal, the proposal covers the area bordered by Van Giesen Street on the south, Newcomer Street on the north, Stevens Drive on the west and George Washington Way on the east. The plan aims to create a walkable district centered on housing, economic opportunity, healthcare access and community services.

The Journal, citing the proposal summary, said the projects are estimated to generate about 700 construction jobs and 380 permanent jobs while leveraging an estimated $300 million in total capital investment. Redevelopment would add about 480 new housing units, including affordable housing opportunities, and increase access to healthcare, childcare and community services for an estimated 2,000 residents annually. Those figures are projections tied to the nomination proposal, not secured funding or approved development permits.

Independent trackers of Washington's Opportunity Zone 2.0 nominations list Benton County census tract 102.04 (GEOID 53005010204), entirely within Richland, as the county's sole nominated tract. Nominations are not yet designations. Treasury still must review and certify the state's list. If certified, the new zones are scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, and keep that status through Dec. 31, 2036.

Opportunity Zones offer federal capital-gains tax incentives to investors who put money into Qualified Opportunity Funds that invest in designated tracts. The updated program, made permanent in 2025 legislation, replaces the first round of zones designated in 2018. Washington nominated 99 tracts from 152 applications after a Commerce-led application process; 36 of the nominated areas represent rural opportunities. Original OZ 1.0 geographic designations remain active through Dec. 31, 2028, overlapping the start of the new program.

Specific redevelopment plans for the Richland tract have not been publicly detailed beyond the proposal summary cited by the Journal. Commerce has encouraged investors to prepare Qualified Opportunity Fund strategies ahead of the January 2027 start date.

Sources

TriTown.info - 10/11/2026

Pasco annexes 6-acre Harris Road ‘donut hole,’ zones R-3 for possible Broadmoor housing

PASCO — The Pasco City Council has agreed to annex a roughly 6.19-acre parcel at 11050 Harris Road — a Franklin County “donut hole” in the Broadmoor area — and assign it R-3 medium-density residential zoning, according to Tri-City Herald reporting.

The property sits south of Harris Road, west of Broadmoor Boulevard, and just north of Interstate 182. Owners are Larry and Malvina Goodwin; the annexation and zoning applicant is Haven Capital LLC. The site is mostly vacant, with water and sewer available along Harris Road.

Council held a public hearing on the annexation request Monday, Sep. 21, 2026. A Tri-City Herald story published Sep. 23 said the council agreed to bring the parcel into the city and zone it R-3. An earlier Herald report covered the hearing-examiner stage in August, when the request was framed as moving the county island into the city for housing rather than remaining under former county commercial zoning.

R-3 medium-density zoning allows a range of housing types, including detached and attached single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes, apartments, stacked flats, condominiums, cottage housing, and factory-assembled homes, the Herald reported. Under the Broadmoor Master Plan’s medium-density range of about 6 to 29 dwelling units per acre, the roughly 6-acre site could theoretically support on the order of 37 to 170 units — but that is a zoning envelope only. No specific housing project or unit count has been approved.

Haven Capital told the Herald that development could occur in one to two years, subject to construction plans and further city permits. The council’s annexation and R-3 decision did not approve a site plan; any future proposal would still need city review and could face traffic, infrastructure, or other requirements.