UPDATE: Fortify Holdings says issues will be resolved soon with WW properties

UPDATE: We received the following statement from Fortify Holdings Friday afternoon:

“In recent years, Fortify has successfully completed four housing projects in the Tri-Cities area, creating more than 570 new units of workforce and affordable housing in the community. Our latest project in Walla Walla has experienced unfortunate construction delays due to unforeseen but not out of the ordinary financing issues. We expect all issues to be resolved soon and construction to resume.”

Ziad Elsahili | President
Fortify Holdings, LLC 

WALLA WALLA – A Kennewick-based general contractor has pulled out of a project in downtown Walla Walla to convert two former motels into studio and one-bedroom apartments.

Chervenell Construction President Brandon Mayfield said his company pulled out of the Budget Inn, 305 N. Second Ave., and the Travelodge, 421 E. Main St., about a year ago due to financing issues and lack of payment from the property’s owner, Fortify Holdings, a Beaverton, Oregon-based development group. It has other residential properties in Oregon and Washington and purchased the two former Walla Walla motels in late 2021.

“We are still pursuing legal options to receive payment, but we will not be returning to those sites,” Mayfield said.

Walla Walla Development Services Director Preston Frederickson said his department has not had any recent contact with Fortify Holdings. He said the last his department had heard was Fortify Holdings was waiting for refinancing to go through to pick the project back up again.

Frederickson said his department has an active code enforcement action against Fortify Holdings to clean up both sites and secure doors, plus openings from the elements.

Fortify Holdings has not responded to Elkhorn Media Group’s repeated inquiries as to the status of this development project.

Photo via Google Maps

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Elkhorn Media Group

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