A Fresh Start Merchants, Developer Turn An Eore Into A Vibrant Commercial District

FOR THE RECORD: Saturday, February 18, 1995 CORRECTION: One of the founders of Wells and Co., a Spokane real estate investment company, is Ron Wells. The Eldridge Building is located at W1325 First. A Friday article misidentified Wells and the building.

Rejuvenating a dilapidated district on the western edge of downtown took more than money and real estate savvy.

At the corner of West First and Cedar, it took a precise mix of bagels, bicycles and antiques to turn the intersection into a vibrant hang-out of yuppies, tourists and mall-hating shoppers.

Today, a gold-trimmed Jeep Grand Cherokee and BMW 735i wait outside Two Wheel Transit, a store selling top-of-the-line mountain bikes for $5,000.

Transit, which opened two weeks ago at W1405 First, filled the last available retail space in the Grand Coulee Building. The old Carnegie Library, now the remodeled home of Integrus Architecture, is another anchor in the district.

But the intersection lies at the center of a neighborhood that has spent most of the past decade as the notorious haunt of drunkards, prostitutes, vandals, burglars and crack dealers.

In fact, the area was so rife with muggings, sexual assaults and drug busts that in 1987 the Spokane Police Department opened a temporary substation at W1100 First to reduce residents’ fears of being attacked.

In October 1993 - the same month Julie and Rob Wells bought seven buildings in the area - police organized a major raid to ferret out drug pushers and gang members.

“It was headquarters for vagrants and pigeons,” said Julie Wells, cofounder of Wells and Co. Real Estate Investment, headquartered in the Eldrich Building, W1325 First.

She and her husband, Rob, were determined to restore the buildings to provide “the look and feel of a big, urban city with historic buildings and diversity,” she said.

Because of the area’s accessible location near the Maple Street Bridge, Browne’s Addition, South Hill and downtown, the Wells envisioned a convenient shopping zone for tourists and residents.

Rob Wells, an architect specializing in restoration of historic buildings, redesigned the commercial and residential units. Contractors gutted and replaced ceilings and floors, modernized plumbing and brought the buildings up to safety codes.

“It took a lot of work … but we’ve always been interested in this neighborhood,” Julie Wells said. “What surprises us is how many people are also interested in it now.”

Renters occupy the vast majority of Wells’ refurbished apartment units in the Buena Vista, San Marcos and Grand Coulee buildings, she said.

They secured tenants in every commercial space in the Grand Coulee and Eldrich buildings within two years of starting the project - a significant accomplishment for a mall, let alone a crime-plagued intersection.

“We get tenants who appreciate this and don’t like the feel of big malls. The rents are a lot cheaper, too,” she added.

Antique shops, beauty salons, environmental consultants and folk artisans draw customers from all over Spokane County. The neighborhood, with street parking and a river view, is becoming downright trendy.

“It reminds me of someplace in the East - a pedestrian mall or something,” said Eugenia Garibay, a tourist from Los Angeles visiting a friend in Spokane.

“This is very fashionable,” said Garibay, window shopping at Global Folk Art.

Store owners are happy with the neighborhood’s evolution, although they don’t know exactly what to call it.

“I wouldn’t say `yuppification’; it’s an eclectic crowd,” said Marla Kelstrup, manager of Fitzbillie’s Bakery, W1325 First.

“There’s a certain mystique here,” she said. “It’s a fun, diverse area. The diversity makes people feel comfortable, and that’s an attraction. And the buildings look interesting.”

The historic buildings were the main draw for Carnegie Square Antiques, W1403 First, which began leasing the space in January 1994. The store sells vintage furniture, oriental rugs and art.

“Even though it was dirty and dark when we moved in, the place said `antique shop.’ A historic building with high ceilings and a glass front - that lends itself to the antique atmosphere,” said Bob Flanary, store manager.

“It’s a good spot. If you’re new in Spokane and looking for an interesting place to eat, shop and walk around, it’s a great place. And you get to look at some of the finer buildings left standing.”

ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: See also sidebar which appeared with this story under headline “West First growth”