Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce
  • MEMBERSHIP
    • Membership Directory
    • Member Login
    • Join the Chamber
    • Membership Features
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Stakeholder, Leader, & Growth Level Members >
      • Stakeholder and Leader Profiles
  • EVENTS
    • Chamber Calendar
    • Annual Events >
      • Annual Meeting & Awards Luncheon
      • Women in Business Conference >
        • Call for Speakers - Tri-Cities Women in Business Conference
        • ATHENA Awards
      • Tri-Cities Diversity Summit
      • State of the Cities
      • Elected Leaders Reception
      • Tri-Cities Day at the Capitol
      • Bridging Partnerships Small Business Symposium
    • Monthly Membership Luncheon
    • Business After Hours
    • Ribbon Cutting Request
  • PROGRAMS & SERVICES
    • Ambassador Club
    • Ask the Experts
    • Business Builders Resource Roundtable
    • Business Resource Navigator
    • LEARN Groups
    • Member Advertising Opportunities
    • myTRI 2030
    • Office Depot Savings Program
    • Washington APEX Accelerator >
      • Meet the Buyer
      • Yes, You Can! Contracts with the Government
    • Workforce & Education >
      • Tri-Cities Regional Career Signing Day
      • Washington Workforce Portal
      • Job Board
  • Advocacy
    • Legislative Action and Advocacy
    • Business Advocacy Letters
    • 2025 State Budget
    • Vote for Business
    • 2024 Legislative Score Card
  • NEWS
    • Press Releases
    • In the News
    • Blog
    • Member News
    • Annual Report
    • Email Updates
    • Website Sponsors
  • ABOUT US
    • Contact
    • Our Leadership
    • Our Team
    • Committees
    • Policies
    • Tri-Cities Strategic Alliance Partners >
      • Benton-Franklin Council of Governments
      • TRIDEC
      • Visit Tri-Cities
    • Tri-Cities Community Map
    • Built for Prosperity - Strategic Plan 2024-2026

MEMBER NEWS

Downtown Kennewick Becomes One of The Newest Certified Creative District in Washington

10/25/2021

0 Comments

 
Downtown Kennewick is the home of one of Washington’s newest certified Creative Districts. The South Columbia Creative District (SOCO) was unanimously ratified in a vote by a board of commissioners organized under ArtsWA on October 6, 2021.

The vision for the South Columbia Creative District (SOCO) was started by a grassroots group of individuals back when the Washington State Creative District Program was first launched in 2018. This certification is an opportunity to recognize Downtown Kennewick as the creative and artistic heart of Kennewick while promoting current established creative
industries. The creative district designation will help promote, connect, and unify the many downtown Kennewick anchors as a rich, creative community that reflects Kennewick’s history and embraces its diverse population.

Creative Districts are an award-winning program that works to grow the creative sector of a community. It helps communities turn cultural activities into economic growth. In Downtown Kennewick, this is an opportunity to recognize downtown as the creative and artistic heart of Kennewick while promoting the area as a hub for creativity and creative enterprises. In the coming months, district organizers will collaborate with the City of Kennewick and Washington Department of Transportation to install a series of highway signs that promote the location of SOCO to travelers making their way through or to the
Tri-Cities region.

The geographical location for the South Columbia Creative District is in the historical heart of Kennewick. Its northern border is roughly the southern bank of the Columbia River and its southernmost border travels along 6th Avenue. From east to west this district spans from Gum Street to Fruitland Street. The southeast border of the district travels up Washington Street until it meets with First Street and then turns east to meet up with Gum Street.

“It was important to us that this creative district span the breadth of all of downtown’s major assets. That they encompass the essential creative, artistic, culinary, and historic features of our community,” said Stephanie Button, Executive Director of the Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership (HDKP). “The idea to name the district South Columbia Creative District (SOCO) developed from our early recognition that there is a possibility that the district could grow and evolve beyond Kennewick’s downtown area. But no matter where in Kennewick our creative district could expand to, it would still be south of the Columbia River.” HDKP will serve as the administrative organization behind SOCO for the foreseeable future.

Within this area are key community anchors including Keewaydin Park--home of the East Benton County History Museum, the Historic Downtown Kennewick business core--an accredited Main Street community, Columbia Gardens, Columbia Drive, and Clover Island. Key anchors within the downtown community are accessible from public transportation and between these anchors, they are walkable and bikeable with ample parking for all kinds of activities and programming.

The downtown area is dedicated to both the arts and creative industry. Within SOCO’s boundaries, there are already 24 public art pieces ranging from murals and sculptures to art-wrapped utility boxes. Just within the roughly 140+ businesses located within the Historic Downtown Kennewick business core, 76 (52%) are considered Creative Industries by NAICS (North American Industry Classification System). The new and growing Columbia Gardens currently features 4 wineries and a food truck plaza that hosts up to 8 businesses at a time.

“We chose a lantern as the emblem of SOCO for a lot of reasons,” Said Ms. Button. “SOCO will illuminate the creative industries, artists, and makers of Downtown Kennewick.” The lantern in SOCO’s logo is inspired by an object in the collection of the East Benton County Historical Society and the Lighthouse located on Clover Island. Around 1906 there was a music teacher, Edna Pallister Hansen, in Kennewick who taught her piano students in Kennewick and across the river in Pasco. She would walk across the old train bridge. Her finance, George gifted her a lantern to both light her way and so he could see her make it across the bridge safely. Like Edna’s lantern or the Lighthouse on Clover Island, SOCO will illuminate the creativity of Downtown Kennewick and support the art and culture of the community by working with arts and humanities organizations and creative entrepreneurs to have a positive educational and social impact on our community. Arts and culture enhance communities through an increase in quality of life, the ability to brand Downtown Kennewick as a creative and cultural destination, attract new residents and become a destination for creative businesses.

As a certified Creative District, Downtown Kennewick is now officially recognized as a hub for creativity and creative enterprises.

For more information about the South Columbia Creative District email [email protected] or call 509-582-7221. Visit the website at https://www.historickennewick.org/soco.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Have News?

    Email your press release and a photo to Austin Regimbal, Marketing & Communications Director. Press releases are posted in their entirety. This is a free benefit for members of the Tri-City Regional Chamber at the Connect level and above.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017

    RSS Feed

Copyright © Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved.
7130 W Grandridge Blvd., Suite C, Kennewick, WA 99336 USA
Phone: (509) 736-0510
[email protected]
Hours
Monday - Thursday: 8 am - 5 pm
​(closed for lunch 12 - 1 pm)
​Friday: 8 am - 12 pm
​Closed Weekends

Picture
Picture
Photos from Bestpicko, The National Guard, Gamma Man, US Department of Education, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Tony Webster, jalexartis, Blue Mountains Library, denisbin, Baker County Tourism, amtec_photos, CartridgePeopleUK, Alan Light
  • MEMBERSHIP
    • Membership Directory
    • Member Login
    • Join the Chamber
    • Membership Features
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Stakeholder, Leader, & Growth Level Members >
      • Stakeholder and Leader Profiles
  • EVENTS
    • Chamber Calendar
    • Annual Events >
      • Annual Meeting & Awards Luncheon
      • Women in Business Conference >
        • Call for Speakers - Tri-Cities Women in Business Conference
        • ATHENA Awards
      • Tri-Cities Diversity Summit
      • State of the Cities
      • Elected Leaders Reception
      • Tri-Cities Day at the Capitol
      • Bridging Partnerships Small Business Symposium
    • Monthly Membership Luncheon
    • Business After Hours
    • Ribbon Cutting Request
  • PROGRAMS & SERVICES
    • Ambassador Club
    • Ask the Experts
    • Business Builders Resource Roundtable
    • Business Resource Navigator
    • LEARN Groups
    • Member Advertising Opportunities
    • myTRI 2030
    • Office Depot Savings Program
    • Washington APEX Accelerator >
      • Meet the Buyer
      • Yes, You Can! Contracts with the Government
    • Workforce & Education >
      • Tri-Cities Regional Career Signing Day
      • Washington Workforce Portal
      • Job Board
  • Advocacy
    • Legislative Action and Advocacy
    • Business Advocacy Letters
    • 2025 State Budget
    • Vote for Business
    • 2024 Legislative Score Card
  • NEWS
    • Press Releases
    • In the News
    • Blog
    • Member News
    • Annual Report
    • Email Updates
    • Website Sponsors
  • ABOUT US
    • Contact
    • Our Leadership
    • Our Team
    • Committees
    • Policies
    • Tri-Cities Strategic Alliance Partners >
      • Benton-Franklin Council of Governments
      • TRIDEC
      • Visit Tri-Cities
    • Tri-Cities Community Map
    • Built for Prosperity - Strategic Plan 2024-2026