Business: Today, as Spokane awakens to 2008, thousands of area residents will be fresh from a New Year’s Eve celebration showcasing downtown vitality. A trend toward urban living will only enhance future First Night festivities.

Last May’s groundbreaking for the Kendall Yards development along the north bank of the Spokane River will add to that trend, and not by accident. Developer Marshall Chesrown was known for quality work before he acquired the choice real estate that a previous owner had squandered for years.

Some dislike the profit motive, but tasteful upscale properties attract wealth that expands a city’s tax base and charitable giving capacity. Chesrown’s sense of responsibility showed early on in an award-winning environmental cleanup of the site. The visible progress that has occurred there this year suggests a shining addition to the downtown profile, not just unrealized potential.