Condo tower proposed
A 17-story condominium complex is being considered for the former downtown Spokane location of a 24 Hour Fitness center.
Tami Palmquist, a city planner, said preliminary plans submitted to her department include up to 49 condo units, 68 parking stalls and ground-floor retail.
Plans for the $6 million project, proposed for 718 W. Riverside Ave., have a big-city feel because they maximize about 8,000 square feet of ground-level space by building up. The tower would replace a three-level building that sits between the two-story Global Credit Union building and the four-story Sterling Savings Bank headquarters.
Designs show ground-level retail space with a semi-circular pull-in on Riverside. Parking spaces would be located on the second, third and fourth floors with an elevator lift carrying cars up and down to save on ramp space.
Palmquist said parking elevators are common in big cities, but the concept is new to the Spokane area.
Jeff Smith is looking at developing the project and is in the due diligence phase of purchasing the 24 Hour Fitness building, which is owned by commercial appraiser Scot Auble and his father, David.
Smith’s name appears on development documents, but he could not be reached for comment.The architectural firm Denny Christenson & Associates submitted preliminary plans to the city in hope of getting some early feedback, Denny Christenson said. The company is researching the project’s feasibility, he said.
If the project is viable, the property sale could close in January, Christenson said. Terms of the potential sale were not disclosed.
Palmquist said the zoning appears to be appropriate for the project and there are no height limits for the site.
Building permit values up in Spokane, Airway Heights
Although 2006 isn’t over yet, Spokane is having a banner year for development.
So far this year, Spokane has $466 million worth of permitted projects. Last year’s total permit values were $407.9 million.
“This year, commercial is up,” said Joe Wizner, a building official. Also, he added, “We’ve got some projects that are ready to go, but we just haven’t issued the permits yet.”
Airway Heights is also seeing gains over last year.
Last year, Airway Heights had $13.1 million in permitted building projects. So far this year, the total is $15.7 million.
Two other cities boasted massive projects that raised their total permit values last year, but were down from those numbers this year.
Through November of this year, Spokane Valley issued permits on $117.5 million. Last year’s total was $197 million.
Liberty Lake, which ushered in the arrival of Home Depot last year, also saw a decrease, going from $30.6 million in 2005 to $24.7 million this year to date.
Great Harvest changing hands; a Liberty Lake store may open
Great Harvest Bread Co. in South Spokane is being purchased by Audrey Hanson and Marsha Loiacono in a deal that’s likely to finalize in May.
The buyout will take about five years, said current owner Jacque Sanchez, who hopes to open another Great Harvest in Liberty Lake.
The purchase puts two employees, who have worked at Great Harvest for twelve years each, in the ownership position.
“I’m really happy for Marsha and Audrey. It’s just a natural transition for them to take it over,” said Sanchez, who opened the South Spokane store in 1990.
Sanchez and a family she is partnering with hope to open a Great Harvest bakery in Liberty Lake.
They’ve applied for franchise rights for the Liberty Lake area, she said, and expect to hear back from the parent company in the next few weeks.
City gathering ideas for Hillyard military facility
People interested in the future of the Joe E. Mann Army Reserve Center have an opportunity to brainstorm over possible uses for the five-acre site.
The military training facility, at 4415 N. Market St., has been deemed surplus by the federal government, opening the door for redevelopment.
An open house is scheduled for Jan. 10, from 5 to 6 p.m. at the center. A public meeting will begin at 6 p.m.
City officials are taking suggestions from groups focused on social services, education, arts and culture and economic development.
Interested parties have until March 9 to submit proposals to the city. Instructions for submissions can be found at www.spokanecity.org.