Here’s the Dirt: Schade Towers building gets new tenant
Asuris Northwest Health is moving into a historic brewery in the University District to be closer to the health core of the city.
The insurer is moving from its Argonne Road office into the Schade Towers, a historic building at 528 E. Spokane Falls Blvd., and will re-open there next week.
The second and third floors have been renovated to create 8,010 square feet of space for the insurer, which serves a client base of employers, agents and brokers as well as working with healthcare providers said Anna Beard, spokeswoman for the company.
Asuris has signed a 10-year lease for the space, Beard said, and the building will be renamed Asuris Schade Tower, she said.
While Beard said the space is larger than the current office, allowing for future growth, there aren’t any immediate plans to hire additional employees.
The insurer is celebrating the move by hosting a three-day company-wide sales conference that will bring an estimated 200 Regence employees from western Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah to Spokane.
Jack gets a face lift
Local Jack in the Box stores are getting major updates that include the addition of flat-screen TVs.
In the next few months, about 17 stores in Eastern Washington and North Idaho will receive companywide updates, said Kathleen Anthony, spokeswoman for the San Diego, Calif.-based company which has about 2,100 restaurants nationwide.
The “re-imaging” creates a contemporary look through new color schemes, ceramic tile floors and new seating styles with booths, counters and bar-height tables, she said. Jack in the Box restaurants will also get new music, uniforms, menu boards, landscaping and other updates.
Anthony said construction recently wrapped up at restaurants on Argonne Road in Spokane Valley, and at the downtown store on Third Avenue.
Work began on North Division and Sullivan Road stores this week, she said. Stores undergoing renovations will close for a couple of days, then re-open with just drive-thru service while renovations are completed, taking up to several weeks.
Tuscan Ridge decision a month away
Residents with opinions about the proposed Tuscan Ridge project, which will create 100 condos on a steep bluff in South Spokane, have another two weeks to submit written comments to Hearing Examiner Greg Smith.
The project is planned on 25 acres near 57th Avenue and Hatch Road. A decision is expected within two weeks of the closing dates for comments, May 30, an office representative said.
Restaurant with bakery to open in Spokane Valley
A new restaurant is opening on May 30 in the former site of Wild Noodles, at 328 N. Sullivan Road.
Mojo will offer a menu that representatives describe as fast, gourmet casual, a news release said. The place has been renovated and will seat 95, including a patio accommodating about 12.
Steven Brower, the owner of the restaurant, said he has been in the business for 20 years, working for a number of different chains. He has hired Charlie Connor, formerly of Beverly’s in The Coeur d’Alene Golf and Spa Resort and Max at Mirabeau, as chef and Dena Carr, a graduate of the San Francisco Baking Institute, as the baker.
The restaurant will serve entrees that include Southwest steak salad, barbecued wild salmon and portabella sandwiches.
In the back, Brower’s Bread & Butter Bakery will produce artisan breads for Mojo and other wholesale customers. Brower said he’s in discussions with local restaurateurs, and the bakery will hand out samples to those potential clients next week.
Valley Manufactured Housing Inc. celebrates milestones
The company, based in Sunnyside, Wash., has made 5,000 manufactured homes in the past 18 years, a company representative said.
Its Spokane Valley sales center at 17123 E. Sprague Ave. is one of four in Washington.
Since opening in 1989, the company has grown from seven to 180 employees and now makes 25 different models of manufactured homes.
Sandpoint Yoke’s Fresh Market remodel completed
The updated store, at 3210 N. Highway 95, features the latest company upgrades, melding the “fresh market” colors and décor with new and expanded departments.
Yoke’s has expanded, added and updated departments displaying floral and gifts, produce, natural and organics, fresh fish and meats, the pharmacy, wine and deli, a company release said.
The Sandpoint Yoke’s deli now features take-out and in-store dining with homemade salads, fine cheeses and a soup bar. The seating area includes a fireplace with a flat-screen TV and heated outdoor seating.