What's Happening in Richland, WA…

An 800-seat arts center may open its doors in Kennewick at some point in the next five years.

The topic of opening an arts center at the site of Vista Field, a former airport, was discussed at a Port of Kennewick commissioner's meeting at the beginning of this month. One of the goals of the meeting was to discuss how the Port of Kennewick could work with the Arts Center Task Force to make the plan a reality. The two groups will work together to build the facility, after which they would explore the possibility of building a larger, 2,000-seat arts center.

Steven Wiley, who works at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as a scientist, heads up the task force. Although he is not involved in the arts, he stressed the importance of improving the quality of life in the Kennewick and Tri-City area. The lab at which he works struggles to recruit new employees because of the lack of performing arts opportunities in the nearby area.

Although the arts center is only in the earliest planning stages at the moment, the task force and team of commissioners can use printing services in the near future to inform the public about the project and to start raising money for the construction.

The groups anticipate that the cost of the center would be between $15-19m and expect fundraising to take about 18 months. They hope to break ground on the project within three years.