Tomlinson Black To Build Minimall In Qualchan Area

(From For the Record, Tuesday, August 15, 1995:) Tomlinson Black’s leasing agent for the proposed Latah Creek Plaza is Patrick Martin. Previous articles stated otherwise.

Tomlinson Black Group of Cos. announced plans Tuesday for the first retail project in the fast-growing Qualchan area in southwest Spokane.

A Tidyman’s grocery store will anchor the $10 million minimall, which will flank Latah Creek. Another anchor, small retailers, a video store and a convenience center also would be in the strip mall, which is seeking zoning approval as a neighborhood shopping center.

Tidyman’s is the only tenant that has announced a contractual agreement to build on the lot, which is squeezed into a woodsy gap near the intersection of State Road 195 and Cheney-Spokane Road. Tidyman’s may begin building the 55,000-square-foot store by fall if the city approves tentative architectural plans.

Hallmark Greeting Cards, a fastfood restaurant and other retailers also have expressed interest in building at Latah Creek Plaza, said Tomlinson Black attorney Jim Craven. With storefronts and driveway entrances facing Cheney-Spokane Road, the mall will have about 680 parking spaces.

Speakers at a hearing examiner’s meeting Tuesday said the 130,000-square-foot plaza is the result of unmet consumer demand for retail and grocery needs on the city’s far southwestern edge. The location is near the Creek at Qualchan Golf Course and several new subdivisions.

“It will be a very well integrated, market-driven project,” said Dave Black, chief executive officer of Tomlinson Black. Tomlinson Black and Patton Martin will lease the property, owned by Jack and Frank Hisayasu.

Neighbors and community leaders at Sunny Creek Residential Community have already submitted letters of approval for the development. Residents of nearby housing projects at Qualchan Hills and Meadowwoods also will be given a chance to comment on the minimall.

The area on which the one-story mall will be built is primarily rural/ agricultural, with small farms and evergreens dotting the landscape. Gary Bernardo of Bernardo-Wills Architects said the mall - to be constructed of timber and bricks with sloping roofs and ample shrubbery - will reflect the pastoral scene.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Map of area