Port of Kennewick - Developer Proposes to Build Single Family Residential at Vista Field

During its regular Commission meeting, the Port of Kennewick’s Board of Commissioners received and approved a Letter of Interest (LOI) submitted by BlueChart Homes. BlueChart Homes desires to build single-family residential homes in a variety of attached, detached, row houses and town houses as envisioned within the Vista Field master plan. The developers proposed to construct nearly 300 homes within and adjacent to the port’s initial development area during the course of seven phases.

Port of Kennewick Commissioners unanimously approved BlueChart Home’s Letter of Interest and directed port staff to work through the collaborative design process to bring a fully defined purchase and sale agreement to commission in the near future.

Port CEO Tim Arntzen stated, “BlueChart Homes brings together experienced, well-funded home builders with a strong sales division for their properties. They have the funding and experience to build at scale while implementing the community’s vision for Vista Field. Their focus on residential will activate public spaces and create patrons to attract and support additional commercial and retail development at Vista Field.”

BlueChart Homes is a joint venture led by experienced developers Levi Holmes and Benjamin Paulus. Levi Holmes, principal of Chartwell Land Company, of Silverdale, WA has designed, entitled, and/or built over 2,000 residential units, with a great deal of experience entitling projects for production home builders. Benjamin Paulus, principal of Blue Fern and Teak Construction of Redmond, Washington is a third-generation homebuilder with more than 17-years-experience building a mix of residential for sale, including infill townhomes and 4-Star Built Green homes, plat development, and multi-family projects.

Holmes and Paulus joined together to form BlueChart Homes to leverage each one’s strengths to help populate Vista Field. Both Holmes and Paulus have been following surging national interest in and demand for walkable, bikeable, transit-served, pedestrian-scale development.

Forming BlueChart Homes allows the developers to transition their focus to New Urbanism and Traditional Neighborhood Design. And they are enthusiastic about the community-driven master plan to transform Vista Field into an urban town center. Indeed, Levi Holmes has been working with two of DPZ CoDESIGN’s associate companies, Qamar and Associates and Structuras Naturalis for several years and are intricately familiar with the unique and special opportunities for building at Vista Field.
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When asked about this and previous development proposals, DPZ CoDESIGN, the internationally renowned company which led the community planning process for Vista Field, shared this statement:

“DPZ is pleased to see the placemaking emerging from Port of Kennewick’s endeavors at Vista Field. The Port’s investment in the streets, linear park, waterway, and retail plaza have set the stage for a variety of live, work, and play spaces. The shops, offices, and the adaptive reuse of the historic airport hangars focus on pedestrian spaces – wide sidewalks, places to gather, landscape features, and public art – all surrounded by a diversity of houses and apartments. In this way, residents and businesses, new and old buildings, together are pioneering the new community.” 

Arntzen added, “offering smaller lots is one way of helping build affordability into housing. Smaller scale lots with a density of development surrounded by open public gathering spaces will encourage an immediate sense of place and neighborhood. And that was the way historic downtowns traditionally formed.

Will living at Vista Field be for everyone? No. And realistically, at full build-out Vista Field will likely meet only 1% of the area’s projected growth over the next 20 years. But it will appeal to many people: those who were vocal and eagerly participated in the early master planning process; those who don’t want five acres and a shop; those who don’t want a huge yard to mow or maintain; and to those who do want a convenient way to live, work and play all in the same space. And it will appeal to those who want to reduce their dependence on the automobile and prefer to walk or bike to entertainment, medical, services, shopping, or dining.

Vista Field will appeal to all ages. And, with opportunities to meet and mingle with neighbors, with beautiful, walkable spaces, and unique gathering places—Vista Field is destined to become a truly regional town center.”