Pasco — After years of legwork, hundreds of acres in the Broadmoor area of Pasco are now ripe for development. And Costco appears to be the first taker.
While a spokesperson with Costco communications told the Herald that the company’s policy is not to comment on future Costco warehouses, the Herald confirmed the rumor circulating for years will finally happen.
“A letter of intent has been signed. We are in the last few days of negotiations,” said Timothy Ufkes, vice president of investments for Marcus & Millichap real estate brokerage who represents the landowner.
Ufkes told the Tri-City Herald that Costco plans to build on a 27-acre parcel that will sit on the corner of Broadmoor Boulevard and Sandifur Parkway, once it is extended.
He indicated that Costco hopes to have the 160,000-square-foot warehouse finished next year.
However, a lot of work is needed to bring infrastructure to the land to make way for development of the Broadmoor master-planned community.
Pasco officials have talked and planned for years about taking a more holistic approach to the development of the open areas west of Road 100, rather than the piecemeal development of the Road 68 area.
Two years ago the city began working on a $4 million sewer line extension from the main on Court Street to extend the system under Interstate 182.
“That set the stage for sewer for the entire Broadmoor area,” said Rick White, community and economic development director for the city of Pasco. He said he couldn’t confirm Costco’s plans.
In December, the city completed a purchase of utility and sewer easem*nts to start working on extending the sewer line through the local improvement district.
By next year, Sandifur Parkway will be extended straight through the center of the property.
Harris Road that essentially parallels I-182 will be realigned and connect with the west end of Sandifur. And Harris will be eliminated east of already existing homes near the freeway.
When the road and sewer extensions are done, the 671 acres owned by Dale Adams of Broadmoor Properties will be well on its way to development.
Retail and more
Six years ago, the city council agreed to rezone 145 acres for retail, easily fitting into the city’s comprehensive plan.
Ufkes said that he has been diligently working for three years to attract retailers such as Costco, as well as a Target Superstore, Whole Foods — and yes, a Trader Joe’s.
And while he admitted he has been working to lure Trader Joe’s, no decision has been made.
Ufkes said that the grocery typically moves into existing storefronts rather than building a standalone store..
He also has been in talks with another major retail developer for the 51 acres that straddle the south side of the future Sandifur street.
“The concept will be so entirely new Tri-Citians would be gaga over what they can do,” Ufkes said. “This project is going to change the way people think of retail.”
Ufkes said that the developer would bring a retail community that could include things like a movie theater, restaurants, coffee shops, as well as high-end retailers such as Lululemon athletic apparel.
He declined to provide more specifics or the name of the developer, but he admitted that it could be similar to Bridgeport Village in the Portland area.
Bridgeport Village in Tualatin, Oregon, created by CenterCal Properties of California is home to wine bars, coffee shops, retailers and restaurants like California Pizza Kitchen.
The area has the feel of an outdoor upscale mall featuring a Crate & Barrel, Apple Store, Loft, Container Store, as well as a spas and a yoga studio, with a Whole Foods across the street.
It provides a destination — somewhere that customers park and have a daylong outing. CenterCal Properties also has developed Valley Mall in Union Gap and the Terminal at Ballard.
West Pasco homes
The community has been long planned, but the land only became available for sale at the end of February.
Pasco’s planning department recently assigned the parcels, and city documents show that PBS Engineering also submitted a land survey to the city at the end of February.
The outlier in the project is that American Rock maintains operations on about 200 acres.
Ufkes said that the lease on that property runs through 2025 and future uses will be assessed — and could include a lake based on the landscape, elevation and proximity to the Columbia River.
And although the property just gone on the market, Ufkes has been in talks in preparation for the sale.
More houses eventually will be added to the hundreds of homes already being built north of Burns Road.
“Things are changing and changing fast,” he said. “We are now responding to letters of intent on over 230 acres of single-family development.”
