Auntie’s consolidates
Two retailers have moved from the second floor of the Auntie’s Bookstore building in downtown Spokane, but the bookseller says it’s alive and well.
Argentum Aurum, a business specializing in handmade jewelry, recently relocated to 524 W. Main St., near Rocky Rococo Pizza and Pasta. Paper Garden moved to a suite on Main, near Macy’s, about six months ago.
Although some customers thought the moves meant that Auntie’s was closing, store owner Chris O’Harra said the bookstore is doing fine. However, Auntie’s will eliminate an overflow section of non-fiction books and a reading area, both housed on the second floor. O’Harra is seeking a tenant for the second floor, which covers 20,000 square feet, she said.
“We are healthy and here; we just decided we can’t quite afford as much space as we had,” O’Harra said.
Although O’Harra owns Auntie’s by herself, she shares ownership of the building with her brother-in-law, Shannon Ahern. Ahern is currently helping promote economic development in Nicaragua and relies on the building’s rental income as a sole income, she said.
Debra Brehren, who owns Argentum Aurum with Tarawyn Brehren, said that at 725 square feet, the new shop is smaller than their former location, but is well-designed and more customer-friendly. The new store also boasts some interesting brickwork and cabinetry, she said.
The artists and business partners started selling handmade jewelry at art festivals 15 years ago and opened a retail store five years ago, Debra Brehren said.
Rings, charms and pendants have designs featuring trees, houses, pets, flowers and other images. Newly crafted pieces combine metal with translucent color.
Although most of the handmade pieces are silver, Brehren said the business is getting increased demand for custom wedding rings.
“White gold seems to be the material of choice at the moment,” she said.
Kendall Yards moving along
Tom Reese, project manager for Black Rock Development, said work could begin on Kendall Yards as early as mid-May. Kendall Yards is expected to create 2,600 residential units and 1 million square feet of commercial space to an undeveloped area on the north bank of the Spokane River.
The developer and city are currently working on an agreement that will detail who pays for what when it comes to infrastructure.
“We’re really close on all the paperwork,” Reese said.
The city is also working to outline areas that will receive improvements under the proposed tax increment financing district. TIF uses general obligation bonds to pay for front-loading infrastructure improvements, such as extending sewer lines and building roads, to hasten development. The bonds are then repaid by a percentage of the increased property taxes generated by the project.
Architects move downtown
Nystrom Olson Collins Inc., a 2-year-old architectural firm, is renovating a former body piercing shop at 910 W. Sprague Ave., for a new office.
The firm is redesigning the 4,500-square foot interior and the façade, said Matthew Collins. The project will maintain the historic flavor of the building but also include some fun elements.
The redesign should be completed by the end of May and the company will then move from its location at the Flour Mill.
No application yet on proposed tower in West Central neighborhood.
A 150-foot-tall mixed-use building proposed near the Spokane County Courthouse is still in the early phases, said Leroy Eadie, Spokane’s planning department manager.
Marcus DeWood has held a required community meeting, Eadie said, and will have to submit a re-zone application for the project to be considered. The building would be built just west of the courthouse, between Broadway and Mallon avenues, in an area that currently has a height restriction of 35 feet, he said. The area currently has a mix of homes and apartments.
Eadie said initial plans show that the building would have a mix of office and residential space with perhaps some retail.