Calvary Chapel’s growth prompts $6 million expansion project

By Sara Schilling sara@tcjournal.biz

One of the largest churches in the TriCities is expanding — and the reason why is key to its mission.

Calvary Chapel Tri-Cities on West Clearwater Avenue in Kennewick is in the middle of a construction project that’s adding 43,890 square feet of space. The extra space is needed because the Christian church has outgrown its current facilities, and it needs more room to minister effectively to its flock and to bring more people to the Lord, said Matt Lewis, associate pastor.

“We want more people to come to know the Lord,” Lewis said. “(The project) is adding space to be able to help us utilize our ministry as effectively as we possibly can for the Kingdom.”

Construction kicked off at the beginning of the year.

Hummel Construction & Development is the contractor and DKEI Architectural Services handled design.

The church doesn’t have membership rolls, but it’s grown enough in recent years that its existing sanctuary — which can seat about 800 people comfortably — can’t accommodate everyone who shows up to services on Sundays. The church is now holding three Sunday morning services, in addition to other programming

Richland wastewater treatment upgrades

Richland

The city of Richland submitted plans to install a new in-kind boiler within the existing Richland wastewater treatment anaerobic digester building and install a new waste gas burner flare. The address is 555 Lacy Road.

Hildebrand townhomes

Kennewick throughout the week.

Christine Batayola submitted plans to build a development with 40 duplex and triplex-style townhomes with a total of 107 units at 6443 W. Hildebrand Blvd.

The project includes grading, roads, utilities, buildings and miscellaneous site improvements.

“I’ve always said that when we got to three services, we’d get serious about building. So that’s what we’re going to do,” Pastor Steve Whinery said in a video explaining the project.

The project at 10611 W. Clearwater Ave. includes “building a large steel building that’s going to be connected to our existing (education building). That’s

Bellas Adventures Benton City

Bellas Adventures LLC submitted plans to short plat Lot 11 of Buena Vista Estates, a 3.47-acre parcel that’s proposed to be divided into two lots. The address is 41902 N. Thunder Road.

Wireless Site Technologies

Prosser

Wireless Site Technologies LLC submitted plans to build a 150-foot monopole communications tower facility and radio equipment cabinet within a 40-by-40-foot fenced enclosure on a roughly 723-acre property at 133785 State Route 221.

Tree Top Prosser going to consist of a fellowship hall and some classrooms and a café, and then a new sanctuary,” Whinery said in the video.

Tree Top submitted plans to add two boilers as part of a facility expansion at 2780 Lee Road.

The cost is $6 million, according to the project’s building permit.

Calvary didn’t conduct a capital campaign and instead is self-funding the construction.

The church also is adding a sports field

Pacific Clinic expansion

Kennewick

Knutzen Engineering submitted plans to build a 26,000-square-foot addition to Pacific Clinic at 1219 N. Edison St. The project includes add 10 pickleball courts and balcony seating.

Barker Heights rezone

Pasco

Paul Lavrentiev, on behalf of P&R Construction LLC, submitted plans to rezone about 35 acres west of Broadmoor Boulevard near the intersection of Iris Road from suburban to medium-density residential.

Coles Estates Sandifur rezone

Pasco off West 10th Avenue for its school, Calvary Christian School.

Nicole Stickney, on behalf of Elite Investment Group LLC, submitted plans to rezone two parcels along the north side of Sandifur Parkway between roads 90 and 92 from retail business to mixed-use.

Like the church, the school has been growing, with enrollment at about 550 students in 2022-23. That includes grades K-10; the school plans to add 11th grade in 2023-24 and 12th grade the year after.

The church’s history dates to 1988, when a group of friends from Calvary Chapel Big Bear in California began meeting weekly for fellowship. They felt God was leading them to move to a new area and start a new church; a group of them — including Whinery and his wife, Bobi — ended up in the Tri-Cities in April 1990. The new church’s first service was on Easter Sunday that year, in a Pasco motel.

Calvary Chapel Tri-Cities broke ground on its current home on West Clearwater Avenue in 2008.

Lewis said that construction on the addition is scheduled to wrap up late this year, and the church should be able to move into the new space around the first of next year.

The expansion will help Calvary continue to do good in the Tri-Cities and beyond, Lewis said.

At Calvary, “we’re not trying to make people religious. We’re trying to introduce them to the truth so they can go out and share about Jesus,” Lewis said.

TSK Kidwell rezone

Pasco

Stacy Kidwell, on behalf of TSK 2019 LLC, submitted plans to rezone about 4 acres along the northwest corner of Burns Road and Broadmoor Boulevard from medium-density residential to retail business. Glacier Park Mixed-Use rezone

Pasco

Peter Harpster of Aqtera Engineering, on behalf of Big Sky Devlopers LLC, submitted plans to rezone about 10 acres north of and adjacent to Burns Road and Ochoco Lane from retail business to medium-density residential.

West Argent land use

Pasco

Clover Planning & Zoning LLC applied for an amendment to the Future Land Use Map of the 2018-2038 Pasco Comprehensive Plan to change the designation of a parcel at West Argent Road and Road 100 from low-density residential to mixed residential commercial. The site is about 3 acres.

BreakThrough Inc. project

Pasco

Christopher Patterson, on behalf of BreakThrough Inc., submitted plans for a Community Service Facility Level II at 6304 Bulldog Lane.

The project will be a staff residential home for two developmentally-delayed children ages 7-18.

Victory Outreach project

Pasco

James Negron, on behalf of Victory Outreach, submitted plans for a community service facility level II at 224 N. Seventh Ave for transitional housing.

Bush Developments has completed Edison Food Park at 5222 W. Okanogan Place in Kennewick.

The two current food trailers are The Local Bite (Tropic Hunger) and Los 3 Amigos.

The food park can accommodate six food trailers.

Bush Developments gives the trailers exclusive rights to the food they offer so each trailer will be the only one selling their type of food. “So you’d be able to come in multiple days a week and always get something new and fresh,” the developers noted.

Each food truck is sited on a concrete RV-style pad next to all of its hookups.

The $700,000 food park, which included the land, is on the corner of Edison Street and Okanogan Place. It was completed June 1.

Once Bush Developments finishes the building next to the food park, there will be more than 17 businesses in the Bonnie Jean Plaza.

Hummel Construction is the general contractor.