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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

City Clears Shadle Mall Site Plans

Rachel Konrad Staff writer

Shadle Shopping Center took a giant leap forward in its controversial renovation plans Thursday when the city hearing examiner approved a revamped site plan for the North Side mall.

Although hearing examiner Greg Smith gave a thumbs-up to the plan, property manager Tomlinson Black Group of Cos. must still meet specific conditions for landscaping, noise and glare mitigation, parking, setbacks, drainage and signage. The renovated mall may be open as early as 1996, and construction may begin within the next two months.

Plans for the mall, owned by Century Properties Fund XI of New York, include a new building for Safeway, 17,000 square feet of new space for small retailers and three new anchor pads.

The old two-story J.C. Penney building at the northeast corner of the mall would be torn down and replaced by the new Safeway superstore. Other scheduled renovations include a 20-foot addition on top of the anchor pads for architectural flourish, as well as green landscaping near Wellesley and Alberta.

Tomlinson Black, which first announced plans to renovate the 34-year-old mall in June, ran into neighborhood opposition to a proposed 12-screen cinema complex. After a series of neighborhood open houses in which tempers flared, the Spokane developer decided to downsize the theater from 35,000 square feet and 2,098 seats to 20,000 square feet and 1,166 seats.

But Tomlinson Black officials are still uncertain whether the would-be theater building will open as a cinema. The company is negotiating with theater companies as well as restaurant chains as potential tenants.

“Ultimately, we are interested in selecting a user or users that will contribute the best synergy to the center,” said John Bennett, president of Tomlinson Black Management.

, DataTimes