New veterans clinic coming to the Tri-Cities

By Sara Schilling sara@tcjournal.biz

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs plans to open an expanded outpatient clinic in the Tri-Cities.

A specific site hasn’t been selected – in fact, the selection process is in the early stages. But Vista Field in Kennewick is one of the areas that’s drawn interest from potential developers as a possibility.

The new clinic will replace the existing one in the Richland Federal Building, and it’ll add an array of specialties for veterans on top of what’s currently offered locally, from dental to pharmacy.

The VA is looking to locate the new clinic in a roughly 34-plus-square-mile area of west Kennewick and south Richland bounded by interstates 82 and 182, Highway 395 and State Route 240.

The clinic could be a new build, or it could move into an existing facility that fits the VA’s criteria, according to an advertisement from the agency seeking expressions of interest from developers.

That’s where Vista Field comes in. Three developers approached the Port of Kennewick – which owns the former municipal airport that’s now envisioned as a regional town center with a mix of commercial and residential development – about listing Vista Field as the clinic location in their submissions.

Because the port is a public agency, discussion among port commissioners about whether to give the OK to that initial step happened during a public meeting, where details about other sites being eyed by developers wouldn’t necessarily make it into the public sphere in the same way.

A site for the new clinic will be selected by January 2025, said Linda Wondra, public affairs officer for the Walla Walla VA Medical Center, a net- work that includes the Richland clinic.

The new clinic is planned to open in 2028. The need is clear, Wondra said.

“The Tri-Cities area has more veterans seeking care than other locations within the Walla Walla catchment area, and it is important to bring needed specialty care services to the Tri-Cities area so these veterans can access and receive more VA services closer to home,” she said.

Vista Field as a possible site

Port of Kennewick staff brought the developer requests to port commissioners at a special meeting in June. The staffers reported that a clinic at Vista Field wouldn’t be consistent with the master plan as approved by the port and the city of Kennewick and may not be consistent with city zoning.

They also noted that it’s unclear if Vista Field meets the VA’s criteria for a suitable site, based on the limited information included in the agency’s advertisement.

But, after lengthy discussion, com- uVA

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