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Port of Kennewick Celebrates Its 110th Anniversary

Port Commissioners, A. I. Smith, George R. Turner and Harry A. Linn attend an early 1940s barge launch.

05 Mar Port of Kennewick Celebrates Its 110th Anniversary

Posted on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 at 8:12 AM in Cable Greens, Clover Island, Columbia Gardens, Featured, Oak Street Industrial Park, The Willows, Vista Field, West Richland Industrial Park
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Port of Kennewick Celebrates Its 110th Anniversary
At the Forefront of Regional Development Since 1915

Kennewick, Wash. – On March 6, 1915, a citizen vote established Port of Kennewick as the first port in eastern Washington and the fifth port district in the state. The first Board of Commissioners meeting was on April 12, 1915.

What started as a 5-square-mile district fostering waterfront commerce in downtown Kennewick soon expanded by citizen vote to include Richland (south of the Yakima River), West Richland, a small portion of Benton City and the eastern third of Benton County. As Port of Kennewick grew, it evolved to meet changing community demands with rail and air transportation, industrial sites and business parks across a 485-square-mile district.

In Washington, ports are economic development entities that build infrastructure and undertake projects that revitalize neighborhoods, create public spaces and spur private-sector investment.

“Port of Kennewick has a proven history of transformative projects within our region,” said Tim Arntzen, port CEO. “Our careful planning, extensive due diligence and engagement with stakeholders and community members in our planning processes help us deliver sustainable developments. We also follow transparent financial practices, a commitment that has resulted in 29 consecutive years of clean state audits.”

Port of Kennewick’s past endeavors and historical photos are featured on the port’s website at portofkennewick.org/history. Also, the port’s 2025 – 2026 Work Plan at portofkennewick.org/finance includes a summary of current projects.

Port of Kennewick is dedicated to improving its district. It is now focused on neighborhood revitalization, working to renew Kennewick’s Historic Waterfront District and create a vibrant regional town center at Vista Field. Highlights of port-led accomplishments include:

Clover Island

  • Building the Clover Island Lighthouse, adding the Clover Island Riverwalk and restoring the island’s shoreline to allow future waterfront development
  • Rebuilding the Clover Island Marina and attracting Ice Harbor Brewing Company’s restaurant to the waterfront
  • Supporting the Clover Island concert series (in its 20th year this season)
  • Installing public artwork and securing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

 

Columbia Gardens Wine & Artisan Village

  • Tipping a tired Columbia Drive industrial area into a destination waterfront by creating the Columbia Gardens Wine & Artisan Village, bringing tasting rooms, micro-entrepreneurial food businesses and the first wine production facilities into Kennewick
  • Attracting jobs and vibrancy to east Kennewick’s waterfront via Columbia Gardens development, helping bring new residential and commercial enterprises – for example, City of Kennewick is currently working to permit the construction of of 22 multistory townhome units with live-work and commercial space adjacent to the wine and artisan village

 

Vista Field

  • Planning the transformation of the 103 acres Vista Field site into an urban town center for the region after closing the little-used general aviation airfield
  • Following a community-driven masterplan with 50% of phase one parcels sold, staff are already planning for phase two improvements
  • Turning two former airplane hangars into pavilions and community gathering spaces at Vista Field’s southern gateway with the support of Benton County grant funds

 

Over the years, Port of Kennewick has helped its city partners with projects that make a meaningful difference for people living and working in the port district. Examples of these regional collaborations include:

  • Partnering with City of Richland in transitioning a vacant area of land into the Spaulding Business Park
  • Kick-starting the development of Kennewick’s Southridge commercial area through a land swap and tax-increment financing support
  • Working with West Richland to extend Keene Road and then creating the Wine Estates Business Park, bringing the first wine production into the city
  • Expanding West Richland’s urban growth boundary to include 93 acres of Port of Kennewick property and then removing deed restrictions and selling that land to the city to enable construction of its police station
  • Selling land to Benton County Fire District 4 for a new fire station, helping ensure the emergency response services necessary to support the growing West Richland community
  • Providing funds to Richland for improvements at Island View and extending Center Parkway
  • Providing funds to City of Kennewick to support lowering Levee 4D, extending the Sacagawea Heritage Trail, creating a pocket park along Duffy’s Pond and supporting Washington Street improvements
  • Providing funds to City of West Richland to support the development of the Van Giesen Gateway Park, restroom and riverfront viewpoint and trail
  • Investing with Richland and Benton County to improve parking at Badger Mountain

 

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Port of Kennewick facilities along the Columbia River circa 1920.Port dock facility in 1922, just downstream of Clover Island on the Columbia River.Clover Island aerial circa 1950s.Aerial of the Clover Island lighthouse PATON (private aid to navigation).An exterior of the phase 1 winery building at Columbia Gardens with the Mid-Columbia Latino Heritage Mural spanning two of the walls.People enjoying the linear stream at Vista Field with a spraying fountain in the foreground.A progress photo showing the renovation of two former hangar buildings into open-air pavilions and a new stylized “paper airplane” art installation at Vista Field.