New $35 Million VA Clinic Coming to Kennewick to Expand Veteran Care

Kennewick Southridge Site Selected for New VA Outpatient Facility

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs selected a site in Kennewick’s Southridge area for a facility measuring 124,000 to 130,000 square feet. The project is expected to employ as many as 250 people. Columbia Basin Veterans Center executive director Kristopher Dahir mentioned to The Center Square that the Tri-Cities has required a bigger VA clinic for a long time given the population of former service members residing there. Within a 75-mile radius, Dahir estimated the veteran population could reach as many as 46,000.

The property was purchased for $13.5 million, and construction is estimated to cost $35 million. The federal government previously included $48.2 million for the project in legislation passed in 2022. A 20-year lease and development agreement exceeding $209 million was awarded by the VA to JTW Development LLC. Dahir noted that the funding came from a combination of sources, though he did not specify exact breakdowns for federal appropriations or private financing.

Addressing Travel Barriers and Local Healthcare Needs

Local veterans currently must travel approximately 50 miles to the VA medical center in Walla Walla, or farther to Spokane, for services not available at the relatively small existing VA clinic in Richland. For veterans with disabilities, mobility challenges, or limited transportation, the distance creates barriers to receiving care. Shane Thorson, a former Army officer and Tri-Cities veteran, stated that the new facility represents an opportunity to make healthcare more accessible.

“Access on paper and access in real life are two very different things,”

Shane Thorson

Thorson described how routine care, such as obtaining eyeglasses, currently requires multiple steps, including traveling to Walla Walla for an eye exam and frame selection, with glasses processed through Boise before being mailed. If a prescription is incorrect, the process may have to be repeated, creating further delays and travel burdens. Dahir emphasized that expanding local care is also a matter of respect, ensuring veterans can receive earned benefits without relying on family members or limited transportation options.

“It’s about respect,”

Christopher Dahir

Project Timeline and Anticipated Outpatient Services

While the VA has not yet announced a final opening date for the Kennewick clinic, project documents reported earlier in the year indicate that construction could begin in the fall of 2026. Construction is expected to take 18 to 24 months, which could allow the facility to open by the summer of 2028. The VA has not yet publicly confirmed a final, detailed list of services and providers, but Dahir indicated the clinic could offer minor outpatient procedures, hearing care, and vision care.

Primary care, mental health care, dental services, audiology, optometry, radiology, laboratory services, pharmacy, and prosthetics have been part of the VA’s more comprehensive plans for the center. Thorson also advocated for including accredited veterans benefits representatives within the facility to help veterans manage disability claims and other benefits alongside their medical appointments.