The face of Clover Island is changing, one building at a time. The Port of Kennewick is ready to demolish the old yacht club building to put up a 12,200-square foot, two-story building that will serve as the new home of the Clover Island Yacht club and also provide additional space for the port to lease out.
The construction is part of the Clover Island redevelopment plan, which includes shoreline improvements and public pathways, new condos and retail space and installation of artwork on the 16-acre land. The new building will help restore public access to the area that’s been available only to yacht club members since the 1950’s. It will also increase lease revenues–from $6,000to about $140,000 a year–for the port, said Larry Peterson the port’s director of planning and development.
Port officials expect to lease the upper level of the building, about 5,500 square feet, for office use. It means about 15 to 20 new jobs on the island that will help revitalize downtown Kennewick, he said. The port has received seven bids on the construction project estimated to cost about $2.78 million.
The project is less about replacing an old building and more about being in tune with the port’s vision for growth on the island. The new quarters will add an extra 700 square feet, but annual lease payments also will increase to about $57,000. That means an additional annual expenditure of $400 for about each of the club’s 150 members. Some members are sad to see the old building go, but they also understand new developments on the island will bring in more boaters and visitors to the area.